Fenerbahce Beko Head Coach Aleksandar Djordjevic said, “Whether we win the match or be the champion, I will never be satisfied. “I never think, ‘This is okay for me,'” he said.
Fenerbahçe Beko started the season with 6 wins and 1 loss in the ING Basketball Super League, and 3 wins in the first 8 weeks in the Turkish Airlines Euroleague. was defeated. Head coach Aleksandar Djordjevic, who was appointed as the head of the team on July 31 and left behind three months in the yellow-dark blue club, about his departure from the Italian team Virtus Bologna, the process of coming to Fenerbahçe Beko, the beginning of the season, the game structure of the team, the fans and his life in Istanbul Demirören He made special statements to the News Agency (DHA). Stating that they had a historic season with Virtus Bologna last season, Djordjevic said, “I am 100 percent focused on Fenerbahçe right now. I don’t believe it was yesterday in basketball, I believe in today. As for the Virtus Bologna era, we had a very good two and a half seasons. We were leaders before the pandemic. We became champions. It was a championship that came 20 years later. We won 19 games in a row in the Eurocup. We lost to UNICS Kazan in the semi-finals, they were better teams than us. We did not qualify directly for the Euroleague. We finished the Italian League play-off with 10 wins in 10 matches, which was a club record. “I’m proud of my players for what we’ve accomplished,” he said.
“I WILL DO EVERYTHING TO BE worthy of this family with the results we have achieved”
Djordjevic said that he met with the general manager of the yellow-dark blue team, Maurizio Gherardini very often when he received an offer from Fenerbahçe Beko, and that the Italian manager told him every detail about the club, “I talked to many people when the offer came. We have a wonderful relationship with Maurizio Gherardini. He told all the details about Fenerbahçe. Even now we continue to talk. I knew and followed Fenerbahçe before the offer came. After coming here, I saw how hot the club is. There was always talk of a family here. There is indeed such a situation here. And I will do everything to be worthy of it through my work and results. After everything became clear, I started to focus on what I can bring to Fenerbahçe, what I can do better,” he said.
“COMING TO A READY TEAM WAS A DIFFERENT EXPERIENCE”
Reminding that Fenerbahçe Beko’s staff structure was completed before he took office, the experienced technical man said that the management had established a good staff. Emphasizing that they only transferred Şehmus Hazer after he joined the team, the Serbian head coach said, “As a coach, it was a different experience to come up with a ready nickname. But I know that the club had already done the best before I came. I was happy with the existing staff. After I came, only Şehmus was transferred, which was already pre-worked before I came. He was a player I liked as he was a promising player. It’s great for a trainer to do something with what they have. “Our goal is to roll the dice right, combine existing things and offer the best on the field,” he said.
“START OF THE SEASON COULD HAVE BEEN BETTER IN BOTH LANES”
Evaluating the rest of the season, Djordjevic stated that they will continue to struggle and said:
“At the beginning of the season, different things happened. We started to show it by first creating the character of the previous team and building on it. We have 3 wins and 5 losses in Euroleague right now, but we could have won a few more games. We are also at a good level in the Turkish League. The start could have been better for both lanes. We started by fighting and we will continue to do so. The fans also have a great importance here, we feel their support. We want to give them something in return for this support. Together we can create a nice synergy.”
The Serbian head coach said that the consecutive losing matches in the last balls in the Turkish Airlines Euroleague did not reduce the motivation of the team, adding, “I can definitely not say that this defeat has negatively affected the morale of the team. It was an experience for us as coaches as well. It was important for us to keep the morale of the team high and fight in the same way and try to win.”
“DEFENSE, THE CHARACTER OF THIS TEAM”
Emphasizing that the defense is of great importance in the philosophy of the game, Djordjevic said that they did a good job in this sense in the rest of the season. Saying that the players reacted well to the system they wanted to instill in the team, the experienced head coach said, “I believe in our defense very much. The defensive effort of the players is also very important and they show a lot of effort. For fans and the media, statistics are important things. Of course, we follow the statistics, but they can vary a lot. The biggest challenge comes here anyway, keeping the same level. Defense is the character and color of this team. The players understand very well what we are trying to give and they react. In this building process it is now necessary to fit the tiles into place. I really like his defensive character on the field right now. “I want to remind you of a saying that people smarter than me say: offense wins games, defense wins championships,” he said.
“IN FENERBAHCE YOU HAVE TO WIN EVERY MATCH”
Emphasizing that there is always pressure in a big community like Fenerbahçe, Djordjevic said, “I think we should produce more numbers. We need to work on getting the players in better form. There is always a lot of pressure in Fenerbahçe. You can’t lose a game, you have to win. You can’t miss a shot, you have to hit the ball on all shots. This always entails giving your best game on the field. This is of course a challenge for us,” he said.
“EVERYONE IS ACTIVE UNTIL THE TRANSFER PERIOD IS CLOSED, INCLUDING FENERBAHÇE”
Regarding the news about whether a transfer will be made to the team, the Serbian head coach said, “The player market is open to everyone right now and all teams are looking for information. I think every team is active until the transfer window closes, this includes Fenerbahçe, but we are not looking for a specific and specific player at the moment.”
“THE BIGGEST HAPPINESS FOR ME IS TO DO MY JOB WELL AND ADD SOMETHING TO THE PLAYERS”
Aleksandar Djordjevic said that even if they achieve the goals they set, they will not be satisfied due to their character, saying, “Whether we win the match or be the champion, I will never be satisfied. I never think, ‘This is okay for me’. Of course, he drinks something and celebrates that moment, we experience the joy, but I always look forward. The greatest happiness for me is to be able to do my job well that day and add something to the players and help them be successful,” he said.
“I TRY TO LEARN ABOUT TURKEY’S WONDERFUL HISTORY AND CULTURE”
Stating that Istanbul has a great history and culture and that he is trying to learn this, Djordjevic praised Turkish food. Underlining that he loves Istanbul very much, the Serbian coach said, “We don’t have much trouble with traffic since we live close to the hall. Of course, there were times when we got stuck in traffic when we crossed to the European side, but you can do many things in traffic, like talking to your family or friends. In a city like Istanbul, you have to accept the traffic. I’m trying to learn about the wonderful history and culture of Turkey. There are some really beautiful places here. As for the food, I can say that it is incredible. It is very similar to the cuisine of our country,” he said.
“THE THING THAT AFFECTS ME THE MOST IN THIS COUNTRY IS THE WARMTH I SEE FROM PEOPLE”
Stating that the warmth and sincerity that Turkish people have shown to him since the first day they came to Turkey is very important, Djordjevic said, “The thing that impressed me the most in this country is the warmth I see from people at every step I take. Not only in the club, but everywhere we go, I come across people who show this warmth. It’s something that I really appreciate,” he said.
“I REALLY WANT TO SEE THE ARENA FULL”
Sharing his satisfaction with the decision of the Turkish Basketball Federation to play the matches with 100 percent capacity, the Serbian head coach said, “We were waiting for this decision and we were very happy. We are slowly starting to normalize. It’s really nice to see the spectators in the basketball halls and stadiums. The social impact of this on society is also very important. I really want to see the arena full. I always say to my players, ‘Play for the fans, play with the fans’ because they have an incredible impact. It is very important that they are with us when we lose, even when our necks are bent.”
“I’M TRYING TO LEARN TURKISH, IT’S NOT EASY”
Emphasizing that he has started to learn Turkish words since the day he came to Turkey, Djordjevic said, “I am trying to learn Turkish, it is not an easy language. There are a few words I know, but all I can say is that we are waiting for them. We will be ready for them and they will be ready for us. It will be a really nice experience to see the arena at full capacity again.”
Sezer AFŞAR – Kaan ÜLKER / ISTANBUL, (DHA)
