Aleksander Sekulic, the head coach of Slovenian national basketball team, spoke to Basketball Sphere about preparations for EuroBasket 2025, as well as his expectations for tournament.
Eight years ago, Slovenia lived the dream. Led by Goran Dragic and Luka Doncic, the team won a gold medal after defeating Serbia in the final. One of the assistant coaches in Igor Kokoskov’s staff at that time was Aleksander Sekulic.
Former head coach of Nymburk and Lokomotiv Kuban, and now head coach of Zenit, took over Slovenian national team in 2020. He managed to lead his team to the semifinals of the Tokyo Olympics, but Slovenia ultimately missed out on a medal. After being eliminated in the quarterfinals of EuroBasket 2022 and in the second round of the 2023 FIBA World Cup, Slovenia is once again aiming to contend for a medal.
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🇸🇮The national team, which had never before reached the EuroBasket final, went through the tournament like a high-speed train – nine games, nine victories! https://t.co/e9nXm0kxGj
— Basketball Sphere (@BSphere_) August 19, 2025
“As is the case every year when we get together, the will and motivation of the entire team are high, which makes the first part of preparations, the most difficult one, easier to get through. From that perspective, I can be very satisfied.
The only thing that really disrupted us was finding out at the last moment that we’d be without two very important players. Those are Vlatko Cancar and Josh Nebo, due to heavy pressure from their club not to join training camp or play at EuroBasket 2025.
As for the preparation plan, as I said, the first phase is much tougher and consisted of a lot of training in the first 14 days. The final part of preparations includes more games, which is easier on the players. All in all, we want to prepare in the best possible way for EuroBasket” – said Sekulic at the beginning of the interview.
Claim Now ”It won’t be easy to get out of group”
Slovenia is in Group D. Their opponents in the group stage will be Poland, France, Belgium, Iceland, and Israel.
“On paper, the group may not seem particularly attractive, but the teams in it are extremely strong, starting with France, who are medal favorites. Poland is the host and has a very experienced and high-quality team. When at full strength, Belgium is a very good team, which they’ve shown in previous tournaments and during the qualifiers.
Iceland is always a tricky opponent, they have many experienced players who compete in strong leagues. Then there’s Israel, led by Deni Avdija and featuring several top-level players. It won’t be easy to get out of this group.”
t the previous EuroBasket, Slovenia was eliminated in the quarterfinals. Poland, led by Mateusz Ponitka, came out on top. Fittingly, Slovenia will open this year’s tournament against Poland.
“I don’t think we need any special motivation for the first game at the European Championship. In my opinion, EuroBasket itself is a big enough motivation. We have to play a solid game against the host, knowing the arena will be full and there will be a lot of pressure from the stands. But we’ve been in situations like that before, so we’re not looking for some sort of sporting revenge — we’re looking for a strong performance from Slovenia to start the tournament” – Sekulic emphasized.
About Luka Doncic
Slovenia’s star player is Luka Doncic. The Los Angeles Lakers guard has put in a lot of work over the summer, and the impression is that he’s more motivated than ever to achieve a great result with his team.
“I agree that, after the previous season — which was tough for him due to the trade — Luka is even more motivated and ready to help Slovenia in his best form. As I’ve always said about him, I’ll say it again.
The fact that a guy like Luka, a superstar of his caliber, always answers the national team call without hesitation speaks volumes about his mindset. An athlete and basketball player like that has a huge impact on the entire nation and his teammates. He has set a high standard for others who come to play for the national team — showing what it truly means to wear the national jersey.”
FIBA has updated their power rankings ahead of the EuroBasket 👇🏆🥈🥉 pic.twitter.com/eV8XcD9mxN
— Basketball Sphere (@BSphere_) August 18, 2025
Importance of Federation support and coaching continuity
Aleksander Sekulic became the head coach of Slovenia in 2020. He has brought continuity to the bench, and the upcoming EuroBasket will be his fourth major tournament in charge.
“Of course, continuity on the bench and the trust of the federation mean a lot. When you have the support of the people in the federation, along with a clear vision, it allows you to work calmly and with a plan, without unnecessary pressure. In sports, and especially in national team work, it’s important to take things step by step.
To build a culture and chemistry within the team. That can’t be created overnight. That’s why I believe stability is one of the key conditions for progress and achieving results. For that, I’m very grateful” – Sekulic emphasized.
Slovenia’s head coach didn’t want to make any bold predictions, but he believes his team can compete with any opponent.
“Our main goal is to be competitive against every team, to look like a team on the court — one with a clear idea, energy, and vision. I know that EuroBasket brings together the best teams in Europe. The games are very demanding, but we want to fight for big goals. I won’t make any big statements, but I believe this team can play against anyone, and in the end, we’ll be proud of what we show.”
A moment written in history books ✍🏻
— Basketball Sphere (@BSphere_) August 17, 2025
The legendary dunk by Predrag Danilovic, posterizing Arvydas Sabonis in the EuroBasket 1995 final 😤 pic.twitter.com/Ym2fr46sqZ
EuroBasket 2025 will be tough
Several national teams are considered favorites to reach the top at EuroBasket. To conclude the interview, Aleksander Sekulic reflected on the other teams and pointed out what Slovenia needs in order to be among the best.
“When you just look at the rosters of the teams competing at EuroBasket, it’s clear that the tournament will be extremely tough. Serbia, France, Spain, Germany — all of them have top-level players and the experience of winning major competitions. We also shouldn’t forget the host, Latvia, who will have strong support from the home crowd.
But my focus is only on Slovenia. If we perform at our highest level, if the energy, chemistry, and focus are where they need to be, then we also have every right to see ourselves among those who can go all the way” – Aleksander Sekulic concluded.
Do you agree with 🇷🇸 Svetislav Pesic that this will be one of the strongest EuroBaskets ever in terms of quality? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/FVpj8jip3P
— Basketball Sphere (@BSphere_) August 19, 2025
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EuroBasket 2025 – Extended rosters of all national teams
EuroBasket 2025, starting on August 27, will be the central topic of discussion in the coming period, alongside basketball transfers in Europe and worldwide.
National team gatherings across the Old Continent have already begun, and coaches have announced extended player lists, with only 12 players from each team set to secure their plane tickets for EuroBasket 2025.
EuroBasket 2025 will be hosted by four countries – Cyprus, Poland, Finland, and Latvia.
The final phase of the competition, meaning all national team matches after the group stage, will be played in Latvia, specifically in Riga, with the final scheduled for September 14.
