"It Was Really Tough, Partizan Is My Club!" Željko Obradović's First Interview Since Returning to Panathinaikos: "I Feel Like I Never Even Left!"
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In recent days, Željko Obradović was in Athens not only as the Panathinaikos coach but also as a lecturer at the EHCB (EuroLeague Head Coaches Board) seminar.
Following the seminar, Europe's most decorated coach spoke to "OnSports," giving his first interview since returning to the Greens' bench.
To begin, he discussed the current state of European basketball and the EuroLeague's progress over the past few years.
"It's clear that everyone loves the EuroLeague's level of play. The numbers are growing, it's exciting, and every game matters. People in basketball just need to sort things out – we have different rules depending on the competition. Anything is possible if there's a will." - Željko Obradović
Obradović has been a coach for over 35 years, and he now compared today's basketball to that of 20 or 30 years ago. As he emphasizes, nothing is the same anymore.
"Basketball is constantly evolving; you have to improve and adapt every day you wake up. It's 2026 now; it can't be the same as 20-30 years ago. The number of games is absolutely different, with less time for training, and you have to adjust to that. Preparations used to last two months, now it's one month. It's not easy. We have various competitions – European, domestic, cups, SuperCup, national teams… It's not easy for players to always stay motivated. We have to help them." - Željko Obradović
Obradović also spoke about his return to Panathinaikos, which delighted the fans of the Athenian giants.
Željko also mentioned that it was a difficult period when he left Partizan.
"I met with Dimitris Giannakopoulos, we talked, and I decided to come. He deserves credit for that. I hadn't been here for 14 years, but I always maintained a great relationship with the people. It was a tough period after I left Partizan; that's my club. But the feeling here is fantastic. I see that everyone is ready to do everything to make things good for us. More important than anything is to maintain an atmosphere of great respect among us. Especially among the players, because they are the most important." - Željko Obradović
He also explained how the negotiations with Panathinaikos unfolded.
"I told my agent, who is primarily a friend, back in November that I didn't want to hear anything about a new job until June. And that's how it was. Afterward, I met with Dimitris, we talked… Of course, it helped that I had been here for 13 years. I never truly left." - Željko Obradović
Obradović also answered whether he ever thought he would return to PAO.
"I never think that way. I was very happy at Partizan. Then you make a decision and you live with it." - Željko Obradović
He revealed that Panathinaikos has an excellent organization and that the club's goals are always the highest.
"Panathinaikos has a fantastic organization. It's now at a top-tier level. That's very important for the next step. Before, there were three brothers here, always by my side, treating me like a family member. I know Dimitris has tried for years to keep Panathinaikos at the top. OAKA is absolutely different thanks to him and his team." - Željko Obradović
In recent weeks, Panathinaikos has strengthened across the board – not just on the court, but also on the coaching staff and in the organization, with the return of Dimitris Diamantidis and Mike Batiste.
"Diamantidis, Alvertis, and for me, Bodiroga, represent three of the greatest basketball players in Panathinaikos' history. As for Batiste, he worked in Toronto last year under Darko Rajaković, an excellent coach and an even better person. Plus, he's from my hometown, Čačak. We're in contact, and I know Mike had a strong desire to be here." - Željko Obradović
VIDEO: Željko Obradović arrives at the promotion!
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