Red Star President: “My honor I worked with with a top coach like Spheropoulos”

On my own initiative, as President of the Association, the contract of the coach Spheropoulos was renewed at the beginning of the year. I would like to remind you that he worked hard, dedicated, achieved successes and is a man of great human values. He always treated opponents with respect. It was all that a Red Star coach must represent.

Our common goal was to conquer trophies and defeat, but also with the help of his experience and knowledge of big clubs, to raise the club together at an even higher level.

On the other hand, as I consider normal in the administration of large organizations, when I work with experts, I never interfere with their professional part and I am not going to do so in the future with any coach, as I find it obvious that they must have autonomy in their work.

I know that this approach may not be popular or absolutely right for some, but when you trust someone and have faith in their abilities, you must also give him the freedom to work unmistakably and implement his ideas and plans.

I did all this with my heart and without any personal interest, as a Red Star fan and as president who wanted to show confidence in a man who respected the club, his employees, the Serbian basketball, our fans and who was successful.

I do not need to remind the public what Mr. Yiannis Spheropoulos did in his two season in the team, among other things, defeated our biggest opponent nine times in a rival and won four trophies in a row.

The new season has not started well, there are many reasons for what I would not want to analyze, but it is clear that we had to move on to this move. My position is such that it obliges me, despite what has been said, to make difficult decisions, which is never pleasant to me, neither as a human being nor as president. This is one of these moments. The interest of the Red Star remains the absolute priority for me.

Knowing that professionalism is tough and that sometimes hard work, good intentions and great will are not enough, I would like to express my gratitude to Mr. Yiannis Spheropoulos for what he has offered to our Red Star. It was my honor, as president, to work with a good man, a top coach who faced the Red Star as a family, gave us joy, worked with dedication and conveyed his valuable experience to make our big club even greater.

That is why the doors of the Red Star will always be open to him, a man who, with courtesy and dignity, represented our club on and off the field and has been part of Serbian basketball.