Zeljko Obradovic took part in the EHCB Coaches Summit held in Athens today, where he later made time to speak with the media.
Reflecting on the challenges of coaching in today’s demanding schedule, Obradovic explained how his approach to training has evolved over time.
Claim Now “I’ve changed the timing of our practices. My players prefer training from 11 to 1, and some even stay a bit longer afterwards. Then they have lunch. It’s just one practice now. We used to have two practices a day. But now that’s impossible with the current number of games—we played 82 across all competitions. ELPA decided we only get 35 days for preseason. Thirty years ago, I had two and a half months. We used to work a lot more,” said the legendary coach.
He went on to describe how the modern game forces coaches to adapt in different ways.
“We don’t have that time anymore. In two weeks, we have to talk tactics—that’s our biggest preparation. Of course, it’s more complex for the players. We all know about the ongoing issues between EuroLeague and FIBA, and the players don’t get enough rest. I try to give them days off as often as I can. I didn’t use to do that, but now I always try. If I can give them two days off, I will—even if it means only having one practice,” he added.
Obradovic also touched on the intensity of the EuroLeague and the difficult choices coaches must make during a long season.
“Every game in the EuroLeague feels important. But even when they all seem that way, we know some are less critical. If you need to rest certain players, you have to choose which games you can afford to do that. At the beginning of the season, everyone wants to play 38 minutes. As the season goes on, they start asking for rest. The biggest change is the one practice per day, and during the season, we adjust based on our opponents.”
When asked to share more specific insights from his lecture or reveal some tactical ideas, Obradović opted to keep things close to the vest.
“I have more options with my team, but I won’t talk about that here—too many EuroLeague coaches are present. Naturally, I’d like to surprise them,” he concluded with a smile.
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