Filip Petrusev and Zvezda: Talks Continue, No Deal Yet
A source close to the club says talks on the forward's return from Dubai have lasted about 15 days, while a Greek reporter claims Zvezda is close.
After his team lost heavily to Crvena Zvezda, Dubai coach Xavi Pascual did not offer a long explanation for one absence. Filip Petrusev did not play, and the reason, Pascual said, was strictly his own personal decision. Nobody mentioned an injury or any other problem.
Petrusev was the only player on the Dubai roster who did not get into the game in Round 4 of the EuroLeague. His absence fueled the ever-present talk of a return to Belgrade, and late on the evening of October 8 the first concrete information arrived, from two different directions.
What did the source close to Zvezda tell Sport Klub?
That talks exist, but there is no deal. Sport Klub published a statement from an unnamed source close to the red and whites, who describes the situation like this:
“Filip is not returning to Crvena Zvezda, for now. But talks about it have been going on for some 15 days. We’re working, talking, trying and, who knows, it might even happen.”
The source thereby confirmed that a third Petrusev arrival at the club is under active discussion, while leaving the door open: the phrase “for now” means nothing has been settled.
Why does Vetakis say Zvezda is close?
Greek reporter Sotiris Vetakis went a step further than the Sport Klub source. On social media he wrote: “Crvena Zvezda is close to bringing back Filip Petrusev.”
According to his reporting, as relayed by Novosti, the Belgrade club is trying to take advantage of the fact that the 26-year-old forward-center has lost his place in Dubai’s rotation. Zvezda wants to strengthen its frontcourt, and while former NBA player Rishon Holmes is among the options on the table, Petrusev is, per Vetakis, the top priority. The two versions differ in tone: one says the club is close, the other that Petrusev is not returning for now.
What does Petrusev have in Dubai, and what is behind him at Zvezda?
His contract with Dubai runs through 2028. He signed it in 2025, when he left Olympiacos and turned down an offer from Zvezda. In its own article, Sport Klub ties his slide down the pecking order to the arrival of Pascual and several new players, after which his role in the team shrank.
The numbers follow. In the first three EuroLeague games this season, Petrusev averaged 3.3 points and 3.0 rebounds in a little under 11 minutes per game.
In a red and white jersey he was a different player:
- 2022/23 season: 10.7 points and 5.2 rebounds per game
- 2024/25 season, on loan from Olympiacos: 14.1 points and 4.9 rebounds, with a EuroLeague performance index rating of 16.5
A return would be his third spell at Zvezda.
What is still unknown?
Crvena Zvezda has not made an official statement. It is not known how large a compensation fee would be, or by when a deal would have to be reached. So far there is only the statement of a source close to the club and the claim of one Greek reporter, and no official confirmation about the player himself.
