“Whoever controls emotions has more chances to do something in sport”
MADRID, 28 Abr. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Partizán coach, Zeljko Obradovic, appealed to turn the page after the fight he experienced this Thursday at the end of the second playoff game against Real Madrid, to talk about “basketball” and not about a brawl that stayed on the field , while confessing that he will try to “calm down” the people in Belgrade.
The press conference at the WiZink Center was packed as few times, to first listen to an Obradovic who spoke of “emotions” to explain the fight with 1.40 minutes remaining in the match, with an away victory. “We have come here to play against Real Madrid, a great club, knowing that it was going to be very difficult. With the idea of going game by game, now we have a 0-2 score and we are very happy, especially because of the way they we have played the two parties. I believe that we have deserved to win them”, affirmed.
“The tie isn’t over, we need one more game and it won’t be easy. Madrid have a lot of resources, I’m sure they’ll have Tavares in the next game and some of those who weren’t 100% will recover. We have to be very careful, prepare well”, he added about the ‘playoff’.
Obradovic was confident that the fight, triggered by an unsportsmanlike attack by Llull on Punter, would not lead to sanctions. “It is in the hands of the referees and the Euroleague. What has happened is not good for basketball, nor for the image of Real Madrid or Partizán. This can never happen,” he said after a brawl on the Madrid park, with Punter’s punches and a Yabusele key to Exum.
“We talked about emotions. After the game they greeted each other and nothing happens. It happened in the game and it’s over. They talked about it and from now on I’m going to try to calm people down in Belgrade. I have friends here, I don’t want them to When people talk about this, I want them to talk about basketball. When we go to Belgrade, I’m sure we’ll have a full arena and I’m going to try to get the people who are going to receive Real Madrid to do nothing. Every day I’m going to repeat it. When when talking about basketball there is nothing better,” he said.
On the other hand, Obradovic explained the decision of the referees to finish the game with 1.40 still in the light. “If the players from the bench go onto the field they are directly out, they have said not to play anymore. We have all seen who has started. After everything that has happened everyone has spoken”, he pointed out.
“They are emotions. You have to look at who has started and why. That’s where it starts and you have to not respond, control, when one responds, what happened happens. We have seen similar things in the past. Those who control emotions have more chances to do something in the sport”, finished.