Drčelić Announces Big News: Zvezda on the Brink of a Historic Step, Aiming for an A-License!

In life, I always strive for victory; I believe in myself. This approach perfectly aligns with Crvena Zvezda's philosophy – to give our maximum, be the best version of ourselves, aim for victory, and pursue the highest goals. Željko Drčelić

We will never shy away; our ambitions are clear. We always aim for victory, but in sports, nothing is guaranteed. As club president, I won't be falsely modest and claim we lack ambition. We strive and will always strive for the highest goals, because that is the only path to great success, a path filled with both ups and downs. However, that doesn't mean we'll abandon our ambitions. Yes, we didn't secure direct playoff qualification, but we did make it to the Play-In for the second year running. We must emphasize that in a league where one or two wins can propel you to fourth or fifth place, a loss or two can drop you by two or three positions. We've finished the EuroLeague regular season with a positive record for two consecutive years, across 34 and 38 games, respectively. This isn't a cup competition; it's a league system where we play against the best teams in Europe. So, I believe 18 and 21 victories in the regular season are respectable results, demonstrating progress and Zvezda's continuous drive to win.

This is our path, and through the progress we achieve, we also discover areas where there's still room for improvement. We feel satisfied with everything accomplished, aware of how much effort was needed to confirm things that were on the verge of success, but we also see potential for even greater work and improvement in all fields. This is the road to championship glory, and it's the one we intend to follow.

It's a significant achievement that others recognize us as a direct competitor, that they want to prove it on the court, that we earn respect and appreciation, and that they are considering us for a permanent spot – a club with a permanent license. So, this can be viewed in multiple ways. But one must also be realistic. Look at how many teams were built and selected with the goal of reaching the very end, yet finished far below Crvena Zvezda. Staying at the top, constantly improving the system, and maintaining that trend in results is a huge accomplishment, one we shouldn't be ashamed of. Instead, we should be aware of our personal strength and capabilities, while also, as responsible individuals, constantly remembering that at this level, any lapse in concentration comes at a high cost and is difficult to recover from.

We fight until the very end, in every game, intelligently analyzing both what we did well and what we did poorly, so that we emerge stronger from every situation and continue our journey – I have no doubt – towards success. Željko Drčelić