Everyone knew it was coming.
Yet when Panathinaikos officially announced Željko Obradović’s return, it still felt surreal.
That is what happens when the greatest coach in European basketball history is involved.
“I don’t see myself anywhere but this club. Either I’ll be here, or I won’t coach at all.”
Those were Obradović’s words on February 29, 2024, after Partizan’s victory over Anadolu Efes.
“I’m proud and happy that the fans put up a banner saying I’m one of them. I’m proud and happy to be Partizan’s coach. I have no doubts about my future. It was worth being born just to experience something like this.”
Eighteen months later, he left.
And now he has returned to Panathinaikos. After Partizan – the other great love of his basketball life.
Everything Changed the Moment He Returned
From a results standpoint, Obradović’s four-plus years back in Belgrade did not unfold the way Partizan fans had imagined.
The 2022-23 season remains the obvious exception. Partizan won the ABA League title and, through an extraordinary chain of events, missed out on the EuroLeague Final Four despite taking two games from Real Madrid in Madrid. Many still believe that team was capable of winning the trophy.
But sports are not built on “what ifs.”
Beyond that season, the results rarely matched the expectations or the investment.
Early this season, the atmosphere inside the locker room had begun to deteriorate. After weeks or even months of reflection, Obradović decided it was time to walk away.
Ironically, his greatest contribution to Partizan may not have been a trophy.
It was relevance.
The moment he returned, everything changed.
Sponsors returned. Fans rallied behind the club. The Belgrade Arena became one of the defining images of modern European basketball. Perhaps most importantly, the EuroLeague once again viewed Partizan with the respect a club of its stature deserves.
When the Fans Came to the Airport
Throughout his second spell in Belgrade, it was impossible not to notice how emotionally invested he was in everything surrounding the club – both on and off the court.
His departure felt less like a coaching change and more like the final scene of a movie.
Fans waited for him at the airport. They continued chanting his name inside the arena until the end of the season. At one point, they even turned their frustration toward the club and its players as a way of protesting the front office.
When he left, Obradović also left the door open for a potential return if president Ostoja Mijailović were no longer in charge. Between the lines, there were even suggestions that he might fight for that possibility one day.
Now, that door appears closed.
Partizan’s elections are expected by the end of the year and Mijailović’s mandate is nearing its end. Still, it is difficult to imagine any challenger with a realistic chance of unseating him.
Too Good To Refuse
As for Obradović, he returns to a club where he spent 13 years and won five EuroLeague titles.
A massive contract. Virtually unlimited resources when it comes to roster building. Complete freedom in basketball matters. The chance to focus solely on basketball.
As a package, it was apparently too good to refuse.
Even though, when he left Partizan, it felt as if a lengthy break from coaching might be exactly what he needed.
There is undoubtedly disappointment among part of the Partizan fan base.
Yet one thing feels certain.
When Obradović returns to Belgrade Arena as the opposing coach, the applause will drown out everything else.