By Nikos Varlas/ varlas@eurohoops.net
Maurizio Gherardini is probably the most renowned European basketball manager. He started his career in the sport as a player of Forli and for 31 years he is considered the most successful European general manager ever. After many years in the NBA, he returns to Europe as he was chosen to stand on the side of Zeljko Obradovic in order to lead Fenerbahce/ Ulker on the top of European baksebtall and a new “golden” era of success.
Eurohoops tracked him at Treviso and he was ready to speak with us, just hours before getting into to the plane to Istanbul and his next big career challenge in one of the most popular and influential clubs of Turkey.
How does he feel as the new GM of Fenerbahce: “It’s a very big and very beautiful challenge for me. The combination of Zeljmir’s presence (ed.note: coach Obradovic) and the level of the club’s management, demonstrates the importance that this project has and also the long term targets of the team.
There’s every condition in order to create a really strong team. There’s a strong management, a great coach and a great fan base which follows Fenerbahce/ Ulker. I felt that I can be productive and also be part of an organization which makes constant progress and it’s destined to succeed”, said to Eurohoops the former vice president of Toronto Raports and until now special consultant of Oklahoma City’s GM Sam Presti on international basketball.
How important was for him the presence of coach Obradovic in order to return to Europe and be the GM of Fener? Will he act like a regular “European” general manager, or he will be as influential in the basketball process as the American general managers are in the NBA?
“It’s very important for me the fact that I will collaborate once more with coach Obradovic. We know each other pretty well for a long time, we have worked together (ed.note: At Benetton Treviso) and we are happy that we will unite once again our ideas. I have just completed the deal with Fenerbahce and we still have many things to set up and talk about.
What counts in the case of Zeljmir and can be considered a guarantee for the team which will create together, is that I will have a very good driver on my side. Teams are like cars and we all know that he is an exceptional driver… On the one side, there’s Zeljko and on the other side the owners. We have a common target, to evolve what’s already been created and present a team which will please everyone and will be worthy of the expectations and the status of Fenerbahce.
That usually takes time. You can’t buy a team, you have to build it the right way, you need to have chemistry and harmony. Even in cases in which a team manages to succeed ahead of schedule, or the initial building plan, those traits are obvious”.
So expect a “hot” summer for Fenerbahce and many big moves by the Turkish club during the summer. However, now it’s play offs time, as Gherardini says: “It’s still too early to speak about the summer. Don’t forget that we are in the middle of the play offs, the peak of the season. I travel in a few hours to Istanbul. I will have a series of meetings with the people of the team and we need time in order to analyze everything and create our schedule and our plans. I am excited with the idea and I can’t wait to work with all those right people, to have great progress and many successes in the years to come”.