Few coaches know the atmosphere inside Belgrade Arena better than Željko Obradović. For years, he experienced it from the home bench. On Tuesday night, he will return to the same building, but this time as the head coach of Panathinaikos and the man trying to beat Partizan.
It will be his first appearance at Belgrade Arena since leaving Partizan (Tuesday, 8:30 p.m. CEST), and the reception he receives from the club’s supporters is likely to draw as much attention as the game itself. Obradović, however, is leaving that entirely up to the fans.
“First of all, I expect it to be a good basketball game. Partizan fans will do exactly what they feel, so there is nothing I can do about that. We are playing a EuroLeague game against a team that has been excellent at the start of the season. They have a lot of quality and play very aggressive defense. We will try to prepare ourselves as well as possible and play the best game we can”, Obradović said.
Partizan’s Defense Is the First Basketball Problem
This will also be Panathinaikos’ first road appearance of the EuroLeague season, following four consecutive victories on its home court. And that first trip takes Obradović back to an arena where he spent years coaching in front of some of European basketball’s most passionate supporters.
“I know very well what it is like there. Personally, I know. I believe the players also know what it is like in Belgrade. The support from Partizan fans is incredible. It will be interesting to see our reaction, because this will be the first time we play away from home in the EuroLeague”.
Partizan’s aggressive defense has been one of the defining features of its strong start. Asked about the pressure his team will face, Obradović pointed to the defensive approach and the different lineup combinations available to his former club.
“Yes, exactly. They are the team with the most steals in the EuroLeague, so everything starts with their defense. As I said, they have a lot of possibilities to use different lineups and a lot of good players. So far, they have played really well”.
Badio Expects Concentration to Matter in the Arena
Panathinaikos guard Brancou Badio also expects a difficult night in Belgrade, although he believes his team has prepared well for the challenge.
“It is going to be a tough game in a tough environment, so we have to prepare well, which we have done, and then go out there and play our game”, Badio said.
Asked what Panathinaikos must do to leave Belgrade with a victory, the guard emphasized the same defensive approach that has helped his team in its previous games.
“I think, as we did in our previous games, we have to play good defense and try to build from there. I also think concentration is going to be a key part of this game because it is going to be a very tough environment to play in”.
Badio believes Panathinaikos’ experienced players already know what to expect in Belgrade, even without any special explanation from Obradović.
“As players, we have experienced guys who have already played there, and everyone knows what to expect. So I think that even without him saying anything, we already know what to expect out there”.