By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
BOLOGNA, Italy – It was a strange night for Nenad Jakovljevic, who officially made his head coaching debut in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague with Virtus Bologna in a home loss to Crvena Zvezda, the last team he worked with before moving to Italy, as member of Dusko Ivanovic’s coaching staff.
Before Dusko Ivanovic could sit on the team’s bench, he reflected on the team’s difficult situation. “It’s very difficult to speak right now. We did our best in this moment, there are a lot of things to be improved and to be done. I hope you can understand my position, my situation, and the cocktail of feelings I have right now, as assistant coach and head coach of this team”, he first opened.
Then, he took a minute to praise Luca Banchi, who brought him to Bologna in December 2023. “I feel an immense gratitude for Luca Banchi, an incredible man and coach. I’m very sorry. Having worked with him for a year made me a better person. He taught me human and sporting values”, he continued. “I wish him to be happy, for me he represented a point of reference”, Jakovljevic followed.
Then, the 36-year-old spoke about the imminent future. “Before coming to Bologna, the last coach I worked with was Dusko Ivanovic. And our last game together was in Bologna, against Virtus. Basketball gods decided to play with fate. I feel a cocktail of emotions”, he commented.
“Let’s focus on what we need to work on. It’s tough, and I can assure you that as assistant coach of this team, all components of our club will give 600% to make this place proud of us. We want our people to come back to this place proud of representing these colors, this jersey, and this city. Because they deserve it”, Nenad Jakovljevic ended his first – and for some time also last – EuroLeague post-game press conference.
PHOTO CREDIT: Virtus Segafredo Bologna