Ognjen Dobric, the basketball player for Virtus Bologna, spoke before his team’s game against Crvena Zvezda in the fourth round of the EuroLeague.
The Serbian player decided to change his surroundings last summer and move to Italy after ten years of playing in the Crvena Zvezda jersey (part of it spent on loan at FMP).
Dobric will host his former team, Crvena Zvezda, in Bologna in a game that will undoubtedly be filled with emotions for the 28-year-old guard.
“It’s strange, really strange. After so many years, I’ll be playing against Crvena Zvezda. I’ve never thought about it before, but the moment has come. We talk about it off the court, and at this moment, I can say I’ll somehow control my emotions. But when I see the jersey and who I’m playing against, I don’t know what to say. There will be emotions; it will be strange. But I’ll try to remain professional and give my all, may the best team win,” Dobric emphasized.
Crvena Zvezda isn’t showcasing its full talent
Crvena Zvezda has undergone significant changes in its team during the summer, and Dobric shared his opinion on the new lineup.
“I’ve followed all the results, of course. I try to keep up, but I can’t watch all the games because sometimes they coincide with my own matches or training sessions, so I only watch parts when I get home.
Honestly, Crvena Zvezda isn’t showcasing its full talent and potential. I’m confident it will get much better as time goes on. The problem is that there wasn’t much time for team cohesion, and everything has to be done on the fly, through games. It’s a bit tricky.”
On paper, one of the strongest Crvena Zvezda teams
“The Knin Cobra” shares the opinion with many European players and states that this is one of the strongest lineups in the history of Crvena Zvezda.”
“Crvena Zvezda is very quality, one of the strongest teams they’ve had on paper. But paper is one thing; it has to be proven on the court. They will only get better; they have issues when they fall, and there are some dark moments. If they could minimize those, it would be a completely different story. They need to string together a few wins, lift themselves up a bit, and stop thinking about losses; things would immediately change,” said the left-handed shooter, Ognjen Dobric.
Crvena Zvezda is currently at 1-2, while Virtus is at 2-1, and both teams have their aspirations. Virtus wants to continue their good streak, while Crvena Zvezda desperately wants to secure their second win and find their rhythm in the EuroLeague.
“It’s an important game for both sides. We want to continue with the good performances we’ve had since the start of the season. We opened it with the Super Cup, then three wins in the championship. We lost only that one game to Zalgiris, which we probably shouldn’t have lost, but it was the result of some of our foolishness and mistakes. We had a 15-point lead twice and allowed them to come back. The impression is good, we are playing well, and we want to continue in the same manner against Crvena Zvezda, trying to secure a victory,” Dobric analyzed.
“Again, I know how much a win would mean to Crvena Zvezda, especially after the losses to Zalgiris and Monaco. A potential win could mark the beginning of better performances and the continuity the team wants to achieve. That’s why I expect a big battle. I can’t say I would be happy if Red Star loses if we win, but as a professional, I will say that we will give our all to win, and that’s how it is,” Ognjen Dobric concluded his conversation with Mozzart Sport.