In an extensive interview with Eurohoops, Dusan Alimpijevic spoke about fulfilling his biggest dream, his role with the Serbian national team, and a bunch of other topics.
Fulfilling a dream and setting new goals in elite company
Last December, participating in the EuroLeague was merely a wish, but today Besiktas stands as an equal competitor in Europe’s premier club competition:
“As you know, I have said many times that for me personally, it was a dream to be in the EuroLeague with Besiktas. Not with anyone else. Besiktas gave me a lot and I felt that connection with the fans. I feel that love from both the club and the fans. So for me, one of the main goals and dreams was for us to be here in the EuroLeague.”
Now that the first hurdle has been overcome, the bar is raised higher:
“Besiktas has consistently achieved good results and remained at the highest level in the Turkish Super League and the EuroCup competition. This EuroLeague spot came as a reward after all these years. Now that we are finally here, excited and happy about it, our next goal must be for all of us at Besiktas to remain committed partners of the EuroLeague for many years ahead.”
“We always put character before talent”
Entering the EuroLeague naturally brings a dramatic leap in competition quality, but the Serbian head coach does not intend to deviate from the signature style he built over the years:
“Everything is pretty much the same because you either have that style or you don’t. It is not about what the EuroLeague brings us as a different approach compared to the EuroCup. It is more about what we want and how we have trained all these years. We picked good characters once again. We have hard workers here. That is why I believe our approach will be pretty much the same.”
For Alimpijevic, selecting players based on human qualities is a fundamental rule that cannot be compromised:
“We always put character before talent. Of course, all players are already talented when we contact them about joining our club. But if there is a small percentage where talent comes before character, we make a different choice. Because with hard work, good behavior, and an open mind, you can achieve far more than with just talent alone.”
A dual challenge: The Serbian national team and Besiktas
Alongside his club commitments, Alimpijevic also serves as head coach of the Serbian national team. Given the congested schedule, his coaching staff plays a crucial role:
“We are at an age where we must be at the highest level of energy, commitment, and professionalism. Everything must be top-notch. I must say I am very fortunate to have two exceptional coaching staffs, both with the Serbian national team and at Besiktas, which makes my job much easier.”
“When I am with the Serbian national team, I can think exclusively about Serbia without any worry because I know Besiktas is in safe hands with my great coaching staff, whom I have been with for years. We know each other, we know the system, we know how we think, and we know how we breathe. We breathe as one. When I am with the Serbian national team, I am 100 percent committed there. But it is the exact same with Besiktas. When I am with Besiktas, I am 100 percent with Besiktas.”
Turkish temperament and a message to fans: “No calming down!”
Spending six years in Turkey helped him recognize the strong similarities between the Serbian and Turkish mindsets, especially regarding passion and emotion:
“Emotions and enjoying life. We are quite similar, almost identical when it comes to emotional passion for everything. I love this. I love people who have emotions. I don’t like those flat feelings where nobody cares. I don’t like that. I love the emotions we share. Sometimes it goes a bit higher than it should, and it goes down too. But emotion is what drives us.”
That is why the Serbian tactical mastermind has a clear message for Besiktas supporters ahead of their EuroLeague campaign:
“Do not calm down, especially this season with Besiktas. Be fiery, be emotional.”
Two Dusans at Besiktas
With Serbian national team striker Dusan Vlahovic joining the Besiktas football club, chants of the name “Dusan” have taken on a new dimension at both the stadium and the arena:
“I said I was already working on that ‘Dusan, Dusan’ chant before him! We know football is the number one sport in this country. We know how popular it is and how much our fans love it. So I am really happy to hand over that chant to another guy from Serbia.”
He revealed that he watched matches of Besiktas football club:
“I am truly proud and I have watched the matches. We have great games. I like his character. He represents us Serbians perfectly, passionate and with strong character. Dusan is our name. A Serbian name. So whoever makes it successful, I am happy to have him here.”
Jokingly, Alimpijevic revealed his plan for his next trip to the football stadium:
“When I go to the stadium to watch the matches and they start chanting his name, I will stand up. I will pretend it is for me. It is for me. I’ll take it!”
