PRESS CONFERENCE OF DUSAN IVKOVIC

Today s press conference of DUSAN IVKOVIC, famous Serbian coach, gathered large number of journalist in Belgrade s Sport Cafe. The press conference of the famous coach Dusan Ivkovic was organised by Beobasket agency. The introductory speech at the conference was made by Miodrag Raznatovic, the coach’s agent, who reminded those present of the score that CSKA achieved in this season (64 games and even 60 victories, with incredible 31 victory as guest, without defeat) and then gave the floor to Dusan Ivkovic, who continued very quickly: - I don’t know about you, but for me these three years, since we met here in „Sport cafe” when I became CSKA’s coach, passed very quickly. Probably because I worked very much, very intensively, and I always feel best when I am at home in Belgrade – Ivkovic began to speak. He said good buy to the „army team” after three Russia champion titles in a row. In May he missed the title of Euroleague champion at final-four in Moscow, so there was no fairy tale ending to the Russian fairy tale. - My contracts until now have been exclusively for three years. They always ended to mutual satisfaction, because the clubs in which I worked during that period not only achieved good competition results, but also became very stable and these periods were often the turning points for them. This was also the case in CSKA. Ivkovic then returned to 2002. - When I accepted the job in Moscow three years ago, many people were surprised, because at the same time I had exceptionally attractive offer of Denver Nuggets. Now I can say that I was not wrong. The co-operation with CSKA was very successful and I contributed to the club’s reputation as well. With the risk of many people thinking that I am immodest, I say that today it is the best-organised club until now in Europe and that I played an important part in achieving that. I would stress that I never returned to the clubs in which I already worked. The three-year contracts are, in my opinion, the ideal period in Europe for the coach to be able to offer his maximum. Because of such attitude I had to refuse several times in my career the people that I personally like. The statistics of the last season says: 64 games, 60 victories. With the detail for Guinness’s book - 31 game as guests and 31 triumph. - The percentage of victories in this season is the least important. I would return to the day when I signed the contract with CSKA. After first seven days in Moscow we came to Serbia, to Zlatibor. I had seven or eight players at my disposal, so I brought to the preparations two boys who became my very good friends – Andrei Seiko and Ilja Reznik. We practically had no clothes or footwear, so I asked my friends from Cacak knitted fabric factory to oblige us. We played the first friendly game with Panatenaikos in their sports jerseys, then participated in tournaments in Cacak and Vrsac. Wherever I worked, I always liked to play in my home country. He continued very quickly: - From the previous season I inherited the doctor, the physical therapist and one player – Zahar Pasutin. That is the reason because of which the process of the club’s recovery was very long, my assistant Ivan Jeremic was of much help, and so was Ratko Joksic, who was appointed the advisor in the work with junior selections. Ratko wished to continue to work in Moscow and these days he will sign a new three-year contract. We had many problems in establishing the basketball system in the beginning. In the first year, my associates and me often worked literally the whole day long, we had the first meal only in the evening, mainly the room service in the hotel. I am satisfied with the way that we finished our work. He discussed the work with young people in particular. - In Russia when I came, the system of work was the following: Sports schools existed, which recruited the most talented boys, and the national teams and clubs drew young forces from them. The level of work, production and training was very low, so the CSKA was the first club to begin forming the junior selections. In these three years the juniors won three titles and we are all proud of that. As Sergei Kuscenko, the General Manager of the CSKA told me when we were saying good buy, after communism the basketball in Russia was in a big pit, so from now the time will be divided to the time before and after arrival of Dusan Ivkovic. Now the CSKA has the largest budget in Europe, and this should by no means be reduced to the story that is going around – about the Russian Mafia that is laundering the money. At the half of the season, when CSKA had 40 victories in a row, it was said that Ivkovic signed a new contract until 2007. - During the season I wished in a specific way to release the club of a stress situation, especially because of Euroleague final four that was to be held in Moscow. There were many players that I brought to the club, with contracts that would last after I leave. Because of that, at my suggestion we released through press, in an elegant way, the information that I am near signing a new two-year contract. My friends called me and asked about that, I did not either deny or confirm that, because I could not lie to them. The end justified the means, the players were more secure. In some Russian media, several weeks after the “army team’s” disaster in final four, the statement of Sergei Kuscenko appeared that Ivkovic and Brown are leaving CSKA as the main persons responsible for the failure. - I had exceptional professional relation with Kuscenko at first and afterwards more than that, which perhaps proved not to be a good thing after all. For instance, our families went on holiday together. He, wishing to ascribe to himself a larger credit for the CSKA results, at the worst moment, before the very beginning of the last final series of play-off, pushed the story in the media that I am not remaining in the club. In our conversation he denied that he said that, explaining that this was imputed by the city rival, Dinamo. I do not believe him and I am very hurt emotionally. I told him that he should understand one thing: if you play chess, you cannot sacrifice the king, and this is what I really was in the CSKA. I do not wish to sound immodest. One cannot behave like a petty thief. I hear now that Kuscenko will go to a higher level function in the club. I could also now, as my authority in European basketball is larger by far, put a spoke in his wheels in an interview. Anyway, I am not such person. Ivkovic could not hide that he was sorry for not winning the Euroleague throne. - The final-four in Moscow was exceptionally well organised. If I could turn back the time, I would do some things differently, especially in psychological preparation of semi-final. The players simply did not sustain the pressure. When I was definitely finished with CSKA, after the last meeting on Wednesday, we talked for an hour and a half about CSKA’s future and what it is missing in order to make that last step to the promotion to European champion. CSKA was eliminated in the final-four’s semi-final by Dusko Ivanovic’s Taukeramika. - He is excellent coach who already proved himself at the beginning of his career. Even when he was the player, he was a catalyst in the famous Jugoplastika team, I wanted to include him in the national team then. It was the most difficult rival possible for CSKA in the final-four’s semi-final, because we won all the games against Taukeramika in the past two years, so the Basque team was under absolutely no stress. They were better and they deserved that victory. Ivanovic certainly deserves the place in the Expert Council, there is no doubt about that. However, I think that at this moment we need people from this environment more in the Expert Council. Ivkovic was also offered the head position in Russian national team. Selector of Russian national team? - I had the offer as soon as I came to Moscow, but I did not even want to negotiate it. I can be the selector of my country only. The Russian basketball makes progress and this will be seen in the junior categories championships. Still, they are bearing the consequences of the delayed change of generations with the seniors. They have Kirilenko and Holden, but this is not enough for them to be dominant. I would like them to achieve good result, but I think that they are not on the shortest list of favourites for winning medals in the forthcoming European Championship. Ivkovic did not want to talk about his next engagement. He looks only a few days ahead: - Now I will watch our play-off with great pleasure and have a good rest. I should also call my best friends, I still had not time to do that.