Ibon Navarro showed few signs of nerves ahead of his first Belgrade derby. At least, that was the impression he gave while speaking to reporters at Belgrade Arena.
“I went outside on Monday and decided not to go out again until Friday. There’s your answer,” the Spanish coach said with a smile when asked whether he had already felt the atmosphere surrounding the derby.
“I haven’t discovered many new things about the derby. Even from the outside, you can see that it’s a different kind of game for the fans, the city and the clubs. Everything is just as I expected. The only difference is that now I’m experiencing it from the inside, but it’s exactly how it seemed to me from the outside,” Navarro added in a more serious tone.
Ibon and Joan: “Not That Long Ago”
Since arriving at Crvena Zvezda, Navarro has consistently given diplomatic answers to questions about his relationship with Partizan head coach Joan Peñarroya.
This time was no different.
“I’m not going to answer that, but it wasn’t that long ago,” Navarro said, again with a smile, when asked when he had last exchanged messages with Peñarroya.
And who pays for lunch after the game? The reporters persisted. Navarro wouldn’t budge.
“I’m not going to answer that question, but it’s a good question!”
Navarro did not want to discuss new signing Christian Koloko.
He also said that a decision on Johnathan Motley’s availability would be made on game day, adding that Motley had completed the last two practice sessions in full. Ebuka Izundu is ready and will be in the lineup.
According to Navarro, captain Ognjen Dobrić took it upon himself to speak to the players and make sure they understood that the derby is a special game, one that demands greater intensity and concentration than usual.
Ghosts of Last Season and How to Stop Carlik
Zvezda entered both EuroLeague derbies last season as favorites. They lost both.
“I watched those two games. It’s not just about preparing mentally for this particular game. We have to do that for many games because some of the mental obstacles we face will also appear in other games, not just ones like this. That’s why we’re trying not to change our approach or do things differently,” Navarro said.
Carlik Jones, traditionally inspired against Zvezda, recorded 26 points, four rebounds and two assists in last season’s derby that dealt a major blow to the red-and-whites’ playoff hopes.
“With team defense,” Navarro replied when asked how to stop Jones.
The Spanish coach will likely rotate defenders on Jones – Đurišić, Dobrić, Weiler-Babb…
“He’s very talented and so important to them that there’s a huge difference between his performances in wins and losses. It’s not about his statistics, but about the fact that he usually helps his team win. Still, they have many other players who take advantage of the way opponents defend Carlik. We have to defend collectively,” Navarro added.
Zvezda’s Challenge: Preserve Their DNA Against a Different Opponent
Dobrić said there was no clear favorite and that he did not consider Partizan to be in trouble after three consecutive defeats, given the difficult schedule the black-and-whites had faced.
Zvezda, meanwhile, have won four straight games, but Navarro is not allowing himself to get carried away, just as he did not have too many doubts after the opening two defeats.
“We know that even in those four games we won, we did many things that we need to improve. It was the same when we lost the first two games – there were things we needed to do better, but also things we did well, even excellently,” Navarro said, before concluding:
“It’s important that we continue the process and improve what needs improving. In terms of the game plan, this game is completely different from the previous two against Paris and ASVEL. The challenge is to see how we adapt to a different style of basketball from our opponent while preserving our own DNA.”
Belgrade Arena. Partizan vs Crvena Zvezda.
Thursday, 8:45 p.m. The eyes of European basketball will be on Belgrade.