With the recent dismissal of Crvena Zvezda coach, Dusko Ivanovic, speculation about potential new candidates to take over the red and white team has already begun.
Ivanovic didn’t ‘survive’ three consecutive losses in the EuroLeague. The straw that broke the camel’s back was the failure against Virtus, combined with a very lackluster performance for most of the game. When you add to that the speculations about team dynamics, which weren’t at their best, the club’s decision to change direction at the start of the season makes some sense.
However, only to some extent, considering that a sample size of four games is too small to solely sideline Dusko Ivanovic because of the results in the new season, especially with a team he had a significant role in shaping.
Speculation has already begun about the coaches who could potentially replace the Montenegrin expert. Foremost among them is the mention of Dejan Radonjic’s return. In his last season with the club, he secured the Triple Crown by outplaying Zeljko Obradovic’s Partizan in the ABA League final.
Another option could be Sarunas Jasikevicius, the former Barcelona coach. In a three-year span, the Lithuanian coach couldn’t win the EuroLeague with Barcelona, but he’s currently without an engagement, despite being part of the coaching staff for the Sacramento Kings in the NBA preseason.
A third option might be Sergio Scariolo. The best coach of this century ended his tenure at Virtus, where he was dismissed. It seems that Crvena Zvezda could present a significant challenge for the Italian with a renowned EuroLeague track record.
As reported by Meridian Sport, there’s also a strong possibility of Greek coach Ioannis Sfairopoulos being close to the helm.
Speculation is abundant, but one thing is clear: things will be very interesting at Mali Kalemegdan in the near future, especially with two ‘Eternal Derbies’ scheduled in the coming days.