Ergin Ataman, in an interview with Sport Klub, revealed the current relationship he has with Zeljko Obradovic.
The Turkish coach emphasized that he has great respect for Zeljko Obradovic, from whom, he says, he has learned a lot.
“I have great respect for Zeljko as a coach. He is the most decorated coach in Europe. Also, I respect him as a person. Maybe someone sees him on the sidelines and thinks he’s strict and nervous, but when he’s not in the arena, he’s always friendly. We had some moments, especially when I coached Galatasaray and Anadolu Efes against his Fenerbahce – those were big derbies.”
Ergin Ataman doesn’t hide that there have been occasional issues in his relationship with the Serbian expert.
“There were problems, but we would solve them very quickly. I always told people that I learned a lot from Obradovic. When I started to be a coach, he was already a European champion, and it was an honor for me to compete against him. I progressed as a coach because of the matches with him.”