Legendary coach Bogdan Tanjevic spoke to Sportski zurnal about Serbia’s performances at the current FIBA World Cup.
Tanjevic praised the performances of the Serbian national team, which is set to face Canada in the semifinals on Friday.
“They play extremely well, achieving an outstanding result with their qualification for the Olympic Games. I can’t remember ever seeing the Serbian national team play better since 2007 when Serbia became an independent state. They defeated Lithuania, perhaps the best-prepared team at the World Cup, and they played brilliantly, remaining undefeated. They dismantled them with Serbia’s best performance. Svetislav Pesic has immense knowledge and he has prepared the team fantastically,” Tanjevic noted.
As for the question of whether the United States or Canada is stronger, Tanjevic wasn’t sure.
“Well, i don’t know if America is better than Canada. Jordi Fernandez, Canada’s coach, a Spaniard, one of their best coaches, they seem to have them in abundance, has prepared the team excellently. They play high-quality basketball, maintain their form, and radiate an incredible energy. Their best players are in the NBA, they are the protagonists. I truly don’t know if they are weaker than the USA.”
The legendary coach also discussed the game plan for Serbia against Canada and the absence of some key players.
“It’s the same as against Lithuania. Pesic has set up the game brilliantly. Serbia wouldn’t play better even if Nikola Jokic and Vasilije Micic were there. They would certainly be stronger, but they wouldn’t demonstrate better basketball. These players are in sync all the time. I’ve never liked players with special status,” Tanjevic concluded.