The nine-time EuroLeague champion head coach has penned a two-year extension
Zeljko Obradovic renews at Partizan until 2026
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Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade head coach Zeljko Obradovic has agreed a two-year contract extension until 2026, the club announced on Saturday at a press conference in the Serbian capital.
"This agreement has been a mutual desire," Obradovic said. "As always, I will try to give my maximum. This is a club I feel, this is the club I love, and I can only repeat I am really happy I will continue to work at Partizan."
Obradovic, 64, has won an unprecedented nine Turkish Airlines EuroLeague trophies during a storied head coaching career. He is enjoying his second stint in charge at Partizan, where he had also been a player. His coaching career started there in 1991 and he stayed until 1993 before returning 28 years later in 2021.
In between his two spells at Partizan, Obradovic led Joventut Badalona (1993-94), Real Madrid (1994-97), Benetton Treviso (1997-99), Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (1999-2012), and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (2013-20).
"When I played at Partizan, it was 1984, and today it is 2024. I felt great respect everywhere I've been, but I am experiencing here something that I have never experienced anything similar before," Obradovic added at the pres conference. "This is my city, this is my club, these are my people here. I will continue to stay here as long as those who are the most important, and those are the fans, think I am that man for the job."
Obradovic’s second spell at Partizan
Obradovic guided Partizan to the BKT EuroCup Playoffs in his first campaign back on the club’s bench, with the Serbian side posting a 12-4 regular-season record – good for second place in Group A – before falling in the eighthfinals to eventual runner-up Frutti Extra Bursaspor.
Last season, Obradovic’s Partizan reached the EuroLeague Playoffs after grabbing the sixth seed with a 20-14 record. It then lost in Game 5 of a best-of-five series to Real Madrid, which went on to become the EuroLeague champion. He also guided the team to the ABA League crown.
This season, Partizan finished in 11th place, just missing out on the final spot for the Play-In Showdown, with a 16-18 record. Nonetheless, the club has left its mark on the competition, with Partizan leading the league in both average attendance at 19,916, and in its fill rate of 99% at Belgrade Arena.
A bona fide EuroLeague legend
Obradovic first became a EuroLeague champion with Partizan in 1991-92, in his debut season as a head coach, before lifting the title with Joventut in 1993-94, Real in 1994-95 and Panathinaikos in 1999-2000.
In the modern EuroLeague era, Obradovic secured four more EuroLeague titles with Panathinaikos – in 2001-02, 2006-07, 2008-09 and 2010-11 – before leading Fenerbahce all the way to glory in 2016-17.
Obradovic brought first EuroLeague titles four of those clubs – Partizan, Joventut, Panathinaikos and Fenerbahce. Only Real had lifted the trophy before the Serbian’s arrival.
Partizan fans will be hoping that Obradovic can help the club win its second-ever EuroLeague title in the coming seasons, more than 30 years since it first became the champion of Europe.