Aleksandar Dzikic, head coach of Georgia, spoke ahead of tomorrow’s game in Tbilisi where the Georgians will host the Serbian national team.
The Serbian expert emphasized that he wants to see a repetition of the first half against Denmark and stressed that in this game, the hosts will be the underdogs.
“Serbs are World Cup finalists. They are the favorites, which we will use to our advantage. We will accept the role of underdogs and continue to do what we did in the first half against Denmark. We will strive to play aggressive defense, to control what happens on the court. That’s the only recipe if you want to be successful against Serbia,” Aleksandar Dzikic began.
The former Hapoel Jerusalem head coach continued on the labels:
“It’s always interesting when people put labels like ‘favorite’ and ‘underdog’. You will admit that the situation in the game between us and Denmark is not the same as it will be against Serbia. The quality of the teams that played now is closer than the quality of us and Serbia.”
He didn’t shine in his debut for Georgia. They lost to Denmark, but the former Partizan strategist remains optimistic:
“I firmly believe that this team will play better as time goes by. As we get to know each other better, as they find out how I can help them be the best they can be. What’s good for someone individually doesn’t mean it’s good for the team. And vice versa, if it’s good for the team, it doesn’t mean it’s good for them individually. But, I believe in team chemistry and the readiness to sacrifice everything.”
The match between Serbia and Georgia in the second round of qualifiers for EuroBasket 2025 starts tomorrow at 6:00 PM.