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New Panathinaikos signing Sylvain Francisco revealed in an interview with Mozzartsport that he was on the verge of joining Partizan, a team coached by Željko Obradović, who will now be his coach at the Athenian giants. However, Francisco explained why the transfer ultimately fell through.
According to Francisco, the move didn't materialize due to the decision of then-general manager Zoran Savić, who reportedly opposed the transfer for reasons that remain undisclosed.
"I wasn't even aware of it at the time. I knew nothing. My agent (Miško Ražnatović, ed. note) told me about it later, so I only found out retrospectively. When I heard, I thought, 'Wow, why not?' But the general manager (Zoran Savić, ed. note) wasn't in favor of it back then. That's just part of the business. Perhaps it was for the best for me in the end, as I ended up in places that suited me better and I improved year after year. Sometimes that's just how it is. You can't get everything you want." - Sylvain Francisco
Francisco is currently with the French national team in Orleans, preparing for another clash against Serbia on Sunday at 8 PM. In their previous encounter in Belgrade, a loss for France, he scored 13 points.
Last season, Francisco was a standout player for Žalgiris, and starting this upcoming season, he will be playing for Panathinaikos.
Video: Željko Obradović at the Youth Sports Games in Split
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