Two proud clubs, two coaching shake-ups, and two fan bases that live for this moment: the Serbian derby returns to the EuroLeague spotlight
When nothing else matters: Partizan vs. Zvezda in the Belgrade Derby
Game Preview
5 Mins read
Regular Season
Round 15 of 38
Regular Season
Partizan Mozzart Bet BelgradePAR
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Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet BelgradeCZV
Overview
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Tonight in Belgrade, the EuroLeague’s mantra that ‘every game matters’ takes a back seat. For a few hours, standings, stats, and streaks fade into irrelevance. There is only one game that matters: the Serbian derby.
Belgrade Arena is the familiar site where Partizan Mozzart Bet and Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet, two ambitious rivals from the Serbian capital, will lock horns once again. This might be only the seventh time the two teams will battle in the EuroLeague, with each winning three so far, but this clash is one of the oldest, biggest and most bitter rivalries in the world of basketball.
The clash between Partizan and Crvena Zvezda brings to the surface all the emotions and all the passion a sports fan can have.
Partizan was shaken to its core
Few clubs have endured as much turbulence this season as Partizan (5-9). From injuries to a coaching saga that shook the entire fan base, the black-and-white side of Belgrade has been living on an emotional rollercoaster.
First it lost star playmaker Carlik Jones to injury in late October, and without him went on a disappointing run of results. But the club, and all its fans, were shaken to the core after the resignation of the man who was more than just the team’s head coach, the legendary Zeljko Obradovic.
The saga has been well documented, from the coach’s resignation after seven losses in eight games to the club’s refusal to let him leave, which led to a hero’s welcome at the airport for the nine-time EuroLeague winner.
The two sides eventually parted ways, and saying that Partizan fans did not like the news would be a major understatement.
There were overwhelmingly more jeers than cheers from fans aimed towards players and management last week when Partizan hosted FC Bayern Munich. But with Zeljko Obradovic’s assistant Mirko Ocokoljic temporarily taking over the reins, Duane Washington and Tyrique Jones helped the team slalom through all those emotions and come back from a double-digit deficit to down Bayern.
Partizan followed it up with a road win over U-BT Cluj-Napoca in the ABA League and aims to build on it while trying to leave the turbulence behind and salvage a EuroLeague season that still has 24 games left to play.
The team has been playing a bit like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, and while it is hard to predict which face Partizan will display on Friday night, it is equally hard to know which players Crvena Zvezda (9-5) will dress for the derby.
Zvezda’s injury woes
If Partizan has faced drama, Zvezda has faced attrition. Injuries have tested the depth and resilience of Sasa Obradovic’s squad all season long. And just when it seemed that the team was close to full strength, two key pieces – forward Chima Moneke and guard Devonte’ Graham – will both be game-time decisions after suffering Achilles and calf problems, respectively, in recent days.
And that is already in addition to team-captain Ognjen Dobric out with a back injury, and not having Tyson Carter, Jasiel Rivero, Isaiah Canaan, Joel Bolomboy, Uros Plavsic and Yago Dos Santos. On a positive side, most of these seven certain absences are nothing new, and coach Sasa Obradovic was able to successfully maneuver through as Jordan Nwora and Codi Miller-McIntyre shined in leading the teams to victories.
Interestingly, Zvezda went through a similar coaching scenario to Partizan's, but far less emotional, when earlier this season Ioannis Sfairopoulos was replaced after only two games. Sasa Obradovic came back to his beloved club and turned things around in a miraculous way, stringing together a club-record seven wins as Zvezda went from a hopeless bottom-dweller to one of the teams to beat in a matter of weeks.
Nothing else matters
A brief look at the standings - and at the team stats - would give a clear advantage to Zvezda, which scores nearly 4 points more, while allowing 5 points fewer than Partizan. Zvezda is also a far better rebounding team, and shares the ball better on offense, too.
But this is a derby, and all of that matters very little. Especially because of who will be sitting on the respective benches.
Instead of seeing two Obradovics going against one another, we will watch Mirko Ocokoljic and Sasa Obradovic face each other. And that’s a funny turn this Serbian derby took.
Why funny?
Because the two men worked together for the past three years; Ocokoljic was Obradovic’s assistant at AS Monaco. Together, they guided Monaco to two historic accomplishments, which included the club’s first-ever Final Four appearance in 2023, two more EuroLeague playoff appearances and two French League titles.
They know each other, respect each other, and care for one another. And Ockoljic and Sasa Obradovic will play a game within a game.
Obradovic seeks to keep Zvezda on a winning track. Ocokoljic is eager to earn another win to turn things right-side-up for Partizan.
For 40 minutes, Belgrade will hold its breath. Two teams, two coaches who know each other inside out, and two fan bases that demand victory. Because in Serbia, this is more than basketball. This is the derby.