By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
BOLOGNA, Italy – Following Luca Banchi’s resignation from his head coaching position with Virtus Bologna, Dusko Ivanovic was called to replace the Italian tactical mastermind.
After two games – in the EuroLeague against Crvena Zvezda, in the LBA against Milan] where he followed only from the sideline, with Nenad Jakovljevic guiding the black-and-white side, the 67-year-old head coach will finally sit on the club’s bench, against his former team Baskonia.
“Destiny decided that the first game would be against Baskonia, and my last game last year [before the EuroLeague Playoffs] was against Virtus. This is a special game for me. But I’m a professional, we are professional. We go there to fight, players are ready frot that We will do as best as we can”, Virtus Bologna’s newest head coach commented about tomorrow’s game.
The former Baskonia and Crvena Zvezda head coach revealed the reason why he accepted the proposal. “I’m very happy to be here in a great team with great players too, in a great city. We don’t have a lot of time, but I believe in this team and in these players: I’m here for this reason, only for this reason. As a coach I want to win, I think these players have the character. We are ready to fight”, he commented.
“Be a team, play together, and believe”
Stating to the media the message he sent to the players in these first days, which is to “be a team, play together, and believe”, he also spoke about the team’s performances when Luca Banchi was in charge. “For me, Virtus played very well, this is a bad circumstance. They lost, how many? 5-6-7 games by 1-2 points, this is unlucky. But this is basketball too, and I think this thing mentally can change and help so many players to win these close games”, Ivanovic followed.
He will coach once again both Tornike Shengelia and Achille Polonara, with whom he spent two seasons in the Basque Country from 2019 to 2021. “I won Baskonia’s last championship with these two guys. I know them, they’re good players and people. I think they haven’t changed, they have this good character and from what I saw, they want to win”, he said about the two.
“We will see, I don’t know. At this moment I’ve seen enough”, he then answered on if the team needed some reinforcement. “We will see as we play more games, but the important is that whoever’s here plays well, fights, and puts 100% for the team”, he added.
Finally, Dusko Ivanovic also took time to speak about the latest winning performance against EA7 Emporio Armani Milan in the Italian Championship. “I think the team did very good things, especially on defense, and showed patience”, the 67-year-old Montenegrin head coach also commented.
PHOTO CREDIT: Virtus Segafredo Bologna