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Radmanovic: No outsiders at Eurobasket
While the players of best Serbia and Montenegro clubs are still preoccupied with their play-off obligations, Vladimir Radmanovic’s thoughts are already focused on the European Championships and the upcoming season. He’s had enough time to recover and rest, but also to plan in detail his physical preparation with the famous trainer Predrag Zimonjic during this summer:
- Rehabilitation has been completed as planned and I feel much better. I should start with an easy practice to strengthen my leg first and get prepared for a normal practicing cycle – Radmanovic says.
After a tiresome season that did not lack injuries and mental strain, the Sonics forward will spend the summer mixing pleasure and work. When it comes to the national team, Radmanovic’s position and willingness are beyond doubt:
- The situation with the national team is clear. I should yet discuss with the head coach some details related to my obligations throughout this summer. I confirmed my playing for the national time long time ago, and on my part, it is beyond discussion.
The European Championships fever is being increasingly felt, and it seems that the Serbia and Montenegro public appe es would be satisfied with just one medal – the brightest one.
- We also expect to win the gold. Each participating team will come highly motivated for winning the le, regardless of whether it is a high or low rated team. I sincerely hope we can compensate the failures from the last Olympic Games and previous Eurobasket at this Championship. We are of the opinion that this country deserves new celebrations and victories. This, of course, directly depends on the team composition and the factor of luck, namely the absence of injuries throughout the preparatory cycle and the tournament.
Asked if through his contacts with other players he has got an impression they are as motivated as he is, Radmanovic answers:
- They are. However, I don’t want to speak on their behalf, because I can say one thing and afterwards, it can change to another. For the time being, everything seems to be positive. At the same time, I am doing my best to get all of us gathered together. We all wish to get together and get the gold back.
The compe ion at the Eurobasket will not be naďve at all. Slovenia, for example, has two players currently playing the NBA play-off final games, not to mention the others.
- It’s clear to all of us that we are not the only country playing the top level basketball any more. We were superior ten, fifteen, twenty years ago… Everybody continuously improve trying to keep abreast with the top quality basketball in Europe and America. Generally, they are all very serious rivals, because the team that is practically an outsider can also make a surprise and spoil your expectations. Although our group seems to be easy, we must take it very seriously from the very beginning. Especially after the lecture we learned in Athens, when we lost the first match against Argentina. If we had won, it may be that the things would have turned to a quite different direction. It makes no sense to guess now whether we would have ended second, fifth, or maybe eighth… We were eleventh and there is no excuse for it. It’s important to get into a rhythm and treat each opponent as the best one in Europe.
