KK Partizan - Cibona 85:82 (Adriatic League, Round 19)

There was a big deal of excitement (even tension) in the air before this game. Earlier this week the basketball team’s management suddenly terminated the contract of head coach Petar Božić, on "mutual agreement"

even though not much earlier they had a press release making everyone sure that the head coach had got the full support of the basketball team’s presidency
(by the way: after this "event" basketball team president Nikola Peković travelled back to Minnesota, because he is in fact still the active player of Timberwolves - and they were beaten ruthlessly right at the next game by Denver Nuggets)

and they immediately signed Aleksandar Džikić.
Partizan’s bench is not new for Džikić, he had been second trainer here years ago. Then he coached Minnesota Timberwolves as well as Ljubljana and Krka, then he switched to the national team of Macedonia, and now he found himself again at Partizan, this time as head coach.
Fans were waiting for him as if he was some kind of Messiah and when he entered the hall before the game, he got a very loud applause.

In the meantime the team warmed up.

(photos: Twitter)

Then we walked out to the court.
The truth is that there was definitely a change in Partizan’s game compared to earlier days. On the court there was a much more aggressive, combative Partizan clashing with the Croatians. No idea what Džikić did to them, but if not else, he pretty much set them afire.
In the beginning Cibona was leading (2:6), then not (7:6). Then still a bit, again (7:8), but then Murić scored a 3-pointer (10:8).
From then on we kept our advantage for 3 quarters. Fans were cheering loud and enthusiastically, Wilson, Murić and Vitkovac threw one basket after the other. Cibona could score only from free throws, then at the end they could pound in a hook as a field goal after a missed-out free throw. We finished the quarter with 26:23.
Cibona equalized at the beginning of the second quarter (26:26), what is more, they even took the lead for a few seconds (Rozić stole the ball with a cheeky movement, then he ran up and dunked it in with an almost-bored looking swing, 26:28), but we quickly equalized and took back the lead (30:28). The pace slowed down a bit, but there was still a great battle on the court, players were sometimes literally wrestling for the ball. We kept on scoring, for the end of the quarter we reached the two-digit difference (46:36).
Then we did such things, too.

We finished the first half with 48:42.

(photo: aba-liga.com)

In the third quarter the pace got slow again a bit. Cibona sometimes got dangerously close to us (49:47), but Murić, Vitkovac and Jones quickly made it to 55:49. Partizan’s dominance was clear, then there was a point at 58:51, when Cvetković hammered the ball into the basket, but he was pushed hard by a Cibona-player while scoring, and "Cvele" fell right onto a cameraman, swiping him away together with his camera. The referee whistled, we got a bonus shot. Cvetković missed it out, but he caught his own rebound, then Vrabac scored (62:51).
This was the point when something broke in Cibona’s coach. All the viewer could see was him yelling with the referees, who gave him technical foul in exchange. An elderly gentleman wearing grey sweatshirt was explaining something with great gestures

later I found out he was Aleksandar Petrović, renowned Yugoslav basketball player, today the president of KK Cibona

two stewards stepped to him and discreetly asked him to leave the place. They courted him to the tunnel.

(photo: aba-liga.com)

We continued to parade, so much, that the Wilson-Vrabac duo allowed themselves even this cheeky trick.

(photo: aba-liga.com)

Cibona started to fall into pieces (Their coach sent killer looks towards the referees.) Our advantage kept on growing, 69:53, then 71:54. At the end of the quarter Đumić was fouled out, but we still had a 14-point advantage before entering the final part (73:59).

Could somebody - anybody - tell me in the meantime what the HECK was Novak Nedić doing in Pionir Hall?...

(photo: Facebook/KK Partizan)

Before someone would play the sentimental card and started to whine me something like "oh, but he just wanted to watch a good basketball game", then let me ask, why the hell didn't he sit onto a stand then?... Another question: did he sit there from public money, or did he pay with those dinars he earned with his own blood and sweat? (Did he pay for the entrance at all?...)

The last quarter brought an impossible, wacky game. Cibona sped up, they picked themselves together and started to score. 73:61, 73:63, here Aranitović scored a 3-pointer (76:63), but this didn’t stop Cibona. 78:68, 80:71, then 80:75, and less than two minutes were left when they took back the lead (80:81).
We got a free throw. Vitkovac took the lead back for us (82:81). Tensed nerves, great fight on the court, wrestling, pushing each other, yelling. Another free throw for Partizan, Cvetković scores, just like it’s written in the Big Book of Basketball (84:81). Cibona also got a free throw, they reduced the difference to 2 points (84:82). Unbearable tense, Vitkovac gets fouled out. Another free throw for Cibona. And they miss it out!
Only 9 seconds left. Murić and Florence almost start a fight. Partizan’s Slovenian player is pulled away by 3 teammates. The American complains. The referee whistles, free throw for Partizan. Murić scores, 85:82. Time-out. Unbelievable mass scenes. Only 4 seconds are left when Cibona attacks.
But they miss it out.
The end.
Victory.

BREAKING: During the game Partizan’s new "purchase", Darrell Williams has arrived in Belgrade.

(photo: Twitter)

KK Partizan: Cvetković (8), Aranitović (3), Jones (14), Murić (11), Marinković (11), Vitkovac (15), Đumić (5), Koprivica, Magdevski, Milutinović, Vrabac (10), Wilson (8)

Cibona: Florence (8), Krušlin (6), Hukić (3), Uljarević, Šiško, Rozić (20), Slavica (5), Joksimović (6), Andrija Žižić (11), Ante Žižić (12), Siriščević (11)

League table will be brought later.

FK Partizan - Javor 3:2 (Jelen SuperLiga, Round 14)

All eyes were watching ul. Humska tonight. After we almost beat ourselves again on Wednesday, the team management discharged Zoran Milinković

rumours speak about "mutual termination of the contract" - I wonder how much it was "mutual"...

and they immediately found the next one to sit on the bench: Partizan’s former player, Ljubinko Drulović.

Like a boss - Drulović on the bench against Javor

(photo: partizan.rs)

He was immediately thrown into deep water: domestic league match just 3 days after the appointment with a crashed team, and next week there is an EL-match waiting for him.
Drulović started with throwing Babović out of the team and gave the captain’s armbad to Brašanac.

I want it to be like this in the future, too.

Then the team walked out to the field to clash with Javor.

(photo: partizan.rs)

In the 4th minute Andrija Živković got the ball from Brašanac and sent a shot right there to the goal line. The shot was flat and weak, the goalkeeper easily caught it. In the 8th minute Bojinov shot the ball to the middle from the left, it caused no pain either for Đogatović.
But in the 10th minute Average Fan got at least a handful of new grey hair.
Ostojić was possessing the ball at the back. He wanted to pass it to Fabricio at the other side of the field. Javor’s striker, Dražić was sneaking around, he jumped there, grabbed the ball and ran up to the goal line. Fabricio was running behind him desperately, but it was all in vain. Dražić shot the ball into the net, Živko Živković had absolutely no chance. 0:1
Then, as misfortunes never come alone, in the 15th minute Brašanac got injured. It was so serious that he had to come off.

(photo: partizan.rs)

Ninković substituted him, he got the captain’s armband as well.

(photo: hotsport.rs)

In the 16th minute it was him who passed the ball to Andrija Živković. Živković was dribbling on the right side for a while, then sent the ball to Bojinov in the middle. Bojinov shot, it was too high.
It was visible that the sudden goal shocked Partizan. The team struggled, while Javor seemed to be heartened up. In the 18th minute Ninković possessed the ball. He kicked it to Andrija Živković, he shot from the penalty area line, the goalkeeper saved. Two minutes later Grbić ran up on the left side, but he was dribbling too long, finally he was tackled.
In the 21st minute Eliomar (or maybe Ajuru, I’m not sure) shot from the distance, but the ball almost flew out of the stadium. A minute later Andrija Živković ran up on the left and passed to Lukić.

(photo: partizan.rs)

Lukić kicked it ahead to Bojinov, it was a HUGE chance, Bojinov shot from the goalmouth, Javor’s goalkeeper had an even more huge save.

(photo: partizan.rs)

Bro, if chewing your jersey helps you to score a goal...

(photo: partizan.rs)

In the 27th minute Grbić had an attempt, he shot from the distance in the middle, but the goalkeeper caught it.
Two minutes later Vulićević was dribbling on the right and passed to Andrija Živković. Žile kicked the ball to the middle, it ended in a corner kick

while the Bulgarian striker was just watching in amazement from the shadow of a defender

Ninković shot the corner kick into the penalty area. It caused a great goalmouth scramble, then Ostojić took the chance, took advantage of the scramble and shot the ball into the net. 1:1

Here Ostojić is just watching, while Jevtović is fighting in the air with Javor’s defender...

(photo: partizan.rs)

...then the ball drops to him and he shots

(photo: hotsport.rs)

GOOOOAAAAAAAAAAAAL!!!!!!

(photo: partizan.rs)

(photo: hotsport.rs)

Fans made a bonfire in the southern tribune

(photo: hotsport.rs)

Javor immediately started a counter-attack. It was dangerous, almost this screaming/heart attack type, finally Vulićević and Fabricio inactivated Javor’s attacker.
In the 33rd minute Grbić got the ball and passed it to the middle. Javor’s goalkeper picked the ball just one moment earlier than Bojinov’s arrival there.
Then in the 36th minute Andrija Živković got a pass on the right side. He was dribbling and dribbling, then he looked up at the penalty area line, shot and scored a giant goal. 2:1, ole ole ole!

(photo: partizan.rs)

(photo: hotsport.rs)

Hey, people! This team was FIGHTING! They WANTED to win! Okay, it was still not this good old "I put my heart, my soul and my lungs out to the field" kind, but there is improvement, definitely. And that’s GOOD! VERY GOOD!
Please, keep it up!!!!

Until the end of the first half the only things that happened left were the clash of Lukić and a Javor-player, which was so hard that the latter one had to be taken off the field with the small electric trolly. While another Javor-player dribbled around Bojinov, tricking the hell out of the Bulgarian.

He literally came round Bojinov, hiding the ball from the Bulgarian for the whole time, while Bojinov could hardly follow him. Eventually the guest team player ran away with the ball and a victorious smirk on his face.

At the very end Gafurov had a try, he was dribbling on the right side, finally he shot the ball on the side net.

(photo: partizan.rs)

The pace slowed down for the second half. Javor-players seemingly made fun of Bojinov constantly tackling him, making Bulgarian fall on the ground every time. The guests tried to make some attack, without much success. In the 60th minute we got a free kick, about 25 metres from the goal line. Fabricio stood behind the ball, he made his usual flat shot, but the ball rolled out of the field. Goal-kick - but Bojinov stole the ball from Javor’s defenders. He shot it to the middle, but a defender, who ran back right there, was quicker than Lukić (if I could see well). They ran up for a counter-attack on the left side, up to our goalmouth. The pass arrived to the middle, but Živko Živković arrived with fantastic timing, just one step earlier than the attacker of Javor.
In the 63rd minute Grbić was kicked to the ground inside Javor’s penalty area. Penalty kick, it was clear-cut. At the same time the referee showed the red card to Gajić, who kicked Grbić. It was his second yellow card, Gajić immediately had to leave the field.

(photo: partizan.rs)

Andrija Živković stood behind the ball.

(photo: partizan.rs)

He ran up, shot... and Đogatović was extremely lucky tonight. He saved it.
In the 67th minute Nemanja Petrović sent an excellent pass to Bojinov at Javor’s penalty area. The Bulgarian thanked it, then rushed up to the goalmouth of Javor and ruthlessly kicked the ball into the net. 3:1

(photo: partizan.rs)

(photo: hotsport.rs)

Bojinov and his very special way to celebrate

(photo: partizan.rs)

In the 71st minute Vulićević was dribbling on the right and passed to Andrija Živković in the middle. Žile shot from the penalty area line, but it was too high.
Two minutes later we made a counter-attack. Grbić ran up on the left and shot, but it ended in a corner kick.
Then Lukić also had to be taken off with the electric trolly to get medical attendance, but Lukić came back to the field after two minutes, because he is a hero. Javor almost scored a goal, well, actually they indeed scored in the 89th minute, but the referee invalidated it, because the goal scoring player was on offside. We were already in the extra time, Partizan-players passed the ball to each other as if it was some leasure time, fans were singing with enthusiasm, when Kolaković stole the ball, ran up and shot from 25 metres. He scored. 3:2
But it doesn’t matter. We won. And that’s what matters.

Ljubinko Drulović had a perfect debut

(photo: partizan.rs)

Highlights:

Facts:

Venue: Partizan Stadion, Belgrade
Number of spectators: 5000
Referee: Srđan Obradović (assistants: Milan Minić, Ivica Stojanović - 4th assistant: Goran Stanojević - goal line assistants: Dejan Anđelković, Dalibor Manojlović)

FK Partizan: Ž. Živković - Vulićević, Ostojić, Fabricio, Subić - Jevtović (N. Petrović, 49.), Lukić - A. Živković, Brašanac (Ninković, 15.), Grbić - Bojinov (Šaponjić, 73.)
Head coach: Ljubinko Drulović

FK Javor: Đogatović - Gajić, Miletić, Crnomarković, Kolaković - Ajuru (Švonja, 74.), Dočić - Đokić, Gafurov (Čečević, 69.), Eliomar (Josović, 84.) - Dražić
Head coach: Aleksandar Janjić

Goal scorers:  Dražić (10.),Ostojić (29.), A. Živković (36.), Bojinov (67.), Kolaković (90+2.)
Yellow card: Bojinov (32.), Grbić (37.), Gajić (38.)
Red card: Gajić (62.), second yellow card

Current championship standings:
1. CZ 35 points*
2. Borac 27 points
3. Partizan 24 points
4. Javor 23 points
5. Čukarički 22 points
6. Radnički Niš 22 points
7. Vojvodina 20 points*
8. Novi Pazar 19 points
9. FK Voždovac 17 points
10. Mladost 16 points
11. Metalac 15 points
12. Rad 13 points
14. Spartak Zlatibor Voda 11 points
15. Surdulica 11 points
16. Jagodina 10 points

Teams marked with * played only 13 matches so far.

New management of KK Partizan elected

I could have also gave the title "Nuclear bomb dropped".
In short: after Predrag Danilović resigned, the basketball team of Partizan elected the new team presidency. It has been an open secret for a while that his successor would be Partizan’s former, Minnesota Timberwolves’ current player, 29-year-old Nikola "Pekmen" Peković.
But the real shock brain haemorrhage surprise was not this.
It was the news that Duško Vujošević has (had to?) left Partizan’s bench.
Dear everyone, dear fellow fans and Grave Diggers, I think we can say that an era in KK Partizan’s history has ended.

We can also say that has been rumoured for a while, namely that party politics have wormed their way into the management of the basketball team.

Duško Vujošević’s successor is Partizan’s former player and second trainer, Petar Božić.

On the photo, from left to right: KK Partizan’s sports manager Dragan Todorić, Petar Božić and Duško Vujošević

(photo: kurir.rs)

The rest of the management is, as follows: KK Partizan's vice president as well as Peković’s general deputy is Miroslav Berić. Other members are: Sanja Lubardić, Maurizio Vallo, Milan Iskrin, Pero Šaranović, Ilija Dražić, Vladimir Vrbaški, Boško Janković, Ratko Čakarević, Velibor Jojić, Ivan Trifunović and Petar Grubor.

Berić (left) and Peković

(photo: Facebook/KK Partizan)

Photo of the day

There was press conference as well, with the usual commonplaces.

It’s very hard to say anything now, being shocked, trying to get used to the fact that Duško Vujošević is not Partizan’s head coach anymore. (The fact that he stays at the club as advisor doesn’t make it any better.) You think back of all those victories, the long list of players who worked with him and who all play now at top clubs, in NBA, in the national team of their countries. (Think of Bogdan Bogdanović and Joffrey Lauvergne.)
In these moments "thank you" is just a superficial cliché. There's not enough "thank you"-s and gratitude in this world to express it.
Stand up straight and salute.
Now.

Zvonko Varga discharged

Zvonko Varga was sent off from Partizan’s coach staff after Marko Nikolić. The news is not even official yet, but the facts that the new trainer Zoran Milinković just announced his second trainers today and Zvonko Varga was not among them, what is more, he is even deleted from the coaching staff page of the team’s website speak for itself.

You get what I mean. No press release, nothing. All in stealth mode. Not even a thank you.

Before anyone would complain saying that the new coach has the right to bring his own staff: yes, he indeed does have the right. Fans also have the right to get informations about the changes instead of putting events together as if it was a puzzle game, because the management has been suffering from the worst complication of amateurism. It's called dilettantism, while staying silent, not speaking a word, launching their worst Hollywood-styled satellite smile, claiming that everything is going the finest.

Let's see things, one after the other.
Zvonko Varga earned two championship titles in the 80's as a player before signing to Standard Liége in 1986. Here are the highlights of the 1986 Dinamo Zagreb - FK Partizan derby, that was won solely by Varga. (And those goals...)

As a trainer he spent 6 seasons on the bench, winning the championship title 3 times. He worked with the most different trainers, with Lothar Matthäus, Vladimir Vermezović, Vuk Rašović and of course with Marko Nikolić, among others.
And now he is elbowed into the corner, as if he was some piece of furniture. Some say, he'll be put back to Teleoptik, where he used to be a trainer earlier.

If I was malicious, I'd say, it was all made up to prevent him to start talking and the public would get to know interesting things about the new management, maybe even about how Nikolić was discharged. What keeps on bothering me is this unbelievable and disgusting dilettantism, this backboneless attitude, when it is not simply the lack of professionalism, but they don’t even try to show any seriousness. The only thing that matters is who is whose family member, friend, neighbour, servant, vassal, etc. It doesn’t matter if the person in question is an expert or not. It doesn’t matter if the person in question has experience, committment, routine or results. Even the team doesn’t matter. It clearly doesn’t. All their gestures speak loudly that they take players only as living chess pieces. Fans don't count at all, even if, for God's sake, it's still the fans that keep the club alive, not Čika Acika’s slowly dropping state money.
Apropos, Čika Acika. Of course I’m talking about Vučić, even if I made a vow never to talk about politics. When this terrible, slimy attitude, this "washing my hands" way of thinking, that shifts the blame to others, that is so typical to the highest political circles appears in the club's management, I can't help but think it all has a political tail-wind. And the goal of it all is to discredit Partizan. This awful, dilettant attitude can be found in the political leadership as well as in the team's. What happens in big, happens in little, too. There are these overlord-vassal relations at everywhere, and the worst is that nothing helps against them. None of these rats can be bombed out of their places, not even with a nuke, because the network of friends, family members, vassals, servants and most different servile idiots is too strong. Even if one of them would resign (with or without external pressure), another would immediately get his place. Well, in case they would resign at all, because they would surely keep on lobbying at their political connections until being assured in their position forever.
As long as it's going like this, nothing will change. Until this pussy-lipped whore openly Crvena Zvezda-fan Vučić and his vassals are in power, that Vučić, who was whining in public for not being able to do anything to make a law for the privatization of sports teams, because pleasedearvotersunderstanditistotallyimpossible, meanwhile he occupies every media station in the country, do you know, dear fellow fans, what will we get?
A middle finger, spiced with Čika Acika’s greasy, red-white smile. Maybe we can scream "Vučiću pederu" or "Uprava napolje".

As for Zvonko Varga...

Dear Maestro,
Thank you very very much for all your struggles, your commitment and work that you did with unbreakable faith even when the wind was blowing against you. I very much hope we can see you again soon on Partizan's bench. Maestro, you are not just an old souvenir that the owner simply throws away, getting bored to see it daily. I believe, and I hope many other fans also believe justice, commitment and skill eventually win over lies, backbonelessness and slyness.
We are waiting for you to come back, Maestro.

Actually, we wait for both of you to come back

(photo: sribjadanas.com)

There is something extra for the end of this post.
As I discussed it in the beginning, the new trainer, Zoran Milinković brought his staff with himself. One of them is Zoran Lončar, former player and second trainer of OFK Beograd, his last workplace was the bench of Voždovac. The other one is Ilija Stolica, he has never worked as a trainer yet. Not even at an U6 or U16 team. His "training experience" section is as white as the fresh snow.

Before someone would ask me "but where are the trust and credit?", my answer is "there are none, there haven't been any at all".

Marko Nikolić discharged

There were rumours about it earlier, some say it was on the agenda even yesterday to get rid of the trainer, but the team management couldn’t agree about it.
Today they kicked out Nikolić without much thinking.
The team had an official statement claiming that the lack of good results is behind the decision, and they think the chances to win the championship title this year is in danger for this reason.

You dirty worms, you rotten SNS-asslickers, you sold out half the team. You sold out Lazović, Škuletić, Pantić and Stanković. There are only Kojić and underage Šaponjić there, and this is not enough even for a level Mourinho trainer to make miracles.* And now you have no backbone to admit your faults, instead you blame Marko Nikolić
You corrupted rats, was it maybe Čika Acika and his phone call that made you bring this irrational and irresponsible decision, to act as he wishes, or else you will not get that microscopic amount of state money you might still be eligible for? You bastards, may Genex Tower fall on your heads. You will pay for this, you’ll regret even to be born to this world.

So far no one spoke to the press. Only one thing is sure, the new trainer, that has been found already. His name is Zoran Milinković.

Maestro,
Thank you very much for everything. Thank you for your tremendous hard work, your faith, your committment. Thank you for being always a gentleman in the media. Thank you for bringing the best out of the players. Thank you for serving the team despite the disgusting conditions, even when everyone else would have left it all behind. Maestro, I’m sure you will find a place where you’ll be honoured and valued a thousand times more than here.
All the best!

*Of course I do not question the committment or talent of Kojić and Šaponjić. They are both great strikers and for our great luck they play in Partizan. But the team still needs badly more strikers, because it is higly unfair to expect them to carry the team on their back.

Marko Nikolić discharged?

The news came out of the blue.
It was first mentioned by zurnal.rs, all other newssites took the news over, internet’s Partizan-fan section exploded. Dragan Ćirić doesn’t confirm, nor deny it, rumours speak about Ivan Tomić as Nikolić’s possible successor.
Fans demand the head of the freshly elected presidency. Some of them dissociated themselves when the new leadership members were announced, even suspecting political forces in the background. I can’t confirm, nor deny this suspection (very well, I took over this expression from Ćirić, it seems, I’m not proud of it...), I still find this shit-stirring and secrecy around Nikolić revolting. Even the idea behind it is crazy, Nikolić is a successful trainer, the team could qualify to the Europa League group stage with his help. He demonstrated his skills countless times, players like and respect him, we are the champions of the autumn season, what else do they need? Who dislikes him among the members of the new leadership? Or whose family member/friend/neighbour/etc. is this Tomić that now he must be sat on the bench, after the new presidency started to work?
The leadership will have a meeting tomorrow, until then nobody wants to speak.
And a message to Biljana Obradović: a PR-manager does not speak like this.