"There was talk of the Final Four, huge funds were invested..." Čović on Zvezda and Partizan's EuroLeague collapse: "It looks very bad to me!"

"Poorly. It looks very bad to me. Significant funds were allocated. You mentioned the system; we built it over 13-14 years at Zvezda, it didn't just appear. We reached a point where we could compete for a license and so on. Enormous funds were invested this year, more than ever before. There were certain expectations, the bar was raised, and there was talk of the Final Four. Of course, that's a desire, but it can create pressure and be counterproductive for both players and the coaching staff. It was discussed at celebrations, everywhere. When you say something like that, you must bear responsibility if it doesn't materialize. The ABA League serves no purpose, and that's a relief." - Nebojša Čović

"Previously, we used the ABA League to get into the EuroLeague; now, it's a stable option. It's like going to a concert, paying a huge amount of money, and not getting adequate music. And that applies not only to Zvezda but to Partizan as well. These are enormous resources. The season is still ongoing, so I won't delve into more detailed criticism and analysis. There are 'safety nets' there, like the ABA League, winning a trophy, and partially the KLS. If it can even be called a league, as it resembles a tournament more." - Nebojša Čović

"It's very difficult to manage. For the windows we've just been through, we had 40 players, then it was tough to narrow it down to 15, and even harder to 12. We clashed with Turkey, where all EuroLeague players are required to play for their national team. That's a matter for the state. For example, Dubai didn't release Petrušev. This indicates that the qualifications aren't regular. These are agreements between FIBA and the EuroLeague; we'll see if a consensus can be reached there." - Nebojša Čović

"I hope we'll be almost complete. I can't go into details about names, that's handled by the coaching staff with Dušan Alimpijević. It's important that we have the best possible team in July and August. There's a significant risk if we don't qualify for the World Cup, as that would then rule out the Olympic Games..." - Nebojša Čović