Sasa Obradovic (Monaco coach): “It was crucial to make the guys understand the importance of defense”
Arrived on December 13 to replace Zvezdan Mitrovic at short notice, Sasa Obradovic has gradually regained his marks on the Rock. The Serbian coach delivered on his return, and the progression of his group.
It is a return for which the Serbian tactician had not really prepared. But Sasa Obradovic is back on the bench of the Roca Team, which he had already coached during the 2019-2020 season. But this time, AS Monaco is on the top floor, in the Euroleague.
” It all happened very quickly. In the middle of the season, I didn’t think I would have the opportunity to end up with a club. I was in contact with a few teams, but deep down I was hoping my destination would be Monaco. I recovered this team which was not at the best point, without cohesion and which lacked communication. It was not easy to identify all these problems in a single day, and to make this group work, in order to get them out of their frustration ”, a delegate the coach to the Monaco site.
The last two performances at Fos in Betclic Elite, and against Maccabi in Euroleague, however reassured the group on the defensive aspect. The return of captain Léo Westermann also played a role, as the aura and dynamics of the new coach.
“We had to clarify roles, designate leaders who must help others in such and such a sector. The collective was touched, and I had to find a way to communicate to allow everyone to regain some confidence. We still made good progress, especially in defense, where there were many problems. It was crucial to make the guys understand the importance of defense. Our last two outings are a good sign that we are on the way. It is still too little, we still need several services of this ilk. But I really appreciated the desire and the determination shown by the players, by giving this image of a tight-knit group. “
Monaco will launch its year 2022 at the Astroballe this Friday evening (8 p.m.) against ASVEL in the Euroleague, while the whole of Europe is suffering the absences of many cases of Covid-19. But ” With the Covid, you never really know which team you’re going to face “Sasa Obradovic soberly concludes.
Photo: Sasa Obradovic (Euroleague)