The most decorated coach in European basketball history has completed the circle and returned to the club where he started his coaching career with the news that Partizan has hired Zeljko Obradovic as its new head coach.
Coach Obradovic returns to Partizan
Eurocup News
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Obradovic, 61, who signed a three-year deal, starts his second stint with Partizan three decades after his coaching debut with the Serbian powerhouse. In his first season as head coach, 1991—92, Obradovic led Partizan to its only EuroLeague title. He also won the Yugoslavian League championship and Yugoslavian Cup that season to complete the triple crown. Obradovic went on to coach Joventut Badalona and Real Madrid of Spain, Benetton Treviso of Italy, Panathinaikos Athens of Greece and Fenerbahce Istanbul of Turkey, becoming the winningest coach in EuroLeague history.
Coach Obradovic has won nine EuroLeague titles - with Partizan in 1992, Joventut in 1994, Real in 1995, Panathinaikos in 2000, 2002, 2007, 2009 and 2011; and Fenerbahce in 2017. He took teams to 18 Final Fours and also won the Saporta Cup twice – with Real in 1997 and Benetton in 1999. He also led Panathinaikos to 11 Greek championships and seven Greek Cups in his 13 seasons with the Greens and helped Fenerbahce win four Turkish championships and three Turkish Cups. Obradovic was also successful with the Yugoslavian national team, leading it to gold medals at EuroBasket 1997 and the 1998 World Cup. He won a silver medal at the 1996 Olympic Games in Atlanta and a bronze medal at EuroBasket 1999.
Obradovic has a 69.9% winning percentage in the EuroLeague and is the only coach to win the Euroleague Basketball Alexander Gomelskiy Coach of the Year award three times (2007, 2011 and 2017). Now Obradovic is set to coach in two new competitions in his legendary career: the Adriatic League and the 7DAYS EuroCup.