Partizan vs Panathinaikos: Obradovic Back in Belgrade
Belgrade Arena is nearly sold out for tonight's Round 5 EuroLeague game, and Zeljko Obradovic comes to Belgrade for the first time as coach of the visitors, with unbeaten Panathinaikos.
On Tuesday, Partizan posted a message about tickets for tonight’s game on X and closed it with a call to the fans: “Nek grmi sa svih strana” (roughly, “Let it thunder from every side”). Before that call, the message says this:
Belgrade Arena will be full tonight! Only a few dozen tickets are still available, offered through the resale option
With that, KK Partizan confirmed that Belgrade Arena is sold out for the Round 5 EuroLeague game against Panathinaikos. Tip-off is at 8:30 pm, and Zeljko Obradovic walks into that arena for the first time in almost a year, this time as coach of the visitors.
Why is this game different from the rest of the round?
Obradovic left Partizan last November, and this is the first game in Belgrade he has coached since. According to RTS, he will be the visiting coach in this city for the first time in 13 years. The same source also cites a figure of 15 meetings in total, but does not specify what exactly is being counted.
There is a piece of history too: Panathinaikos has not won in Belgrade since Partizan returned to the EuroLeague in 2022. The last time the Athenians won in Belgrade was March 4, 2010, and they were coached by Obradovic then, too. B92 also recalls that Partizan’s last meeting with him came in Obradovic’s first season at Fenerbahce, when Partizan was playing its final EuroLeague season before the comeback.
Matthias Lessort, a former Partizan player, is also returning to Belgrade. We wrote about his arrival when he was player of the round. He was the most valuable player in Round 4, after coming back from a serious ankle injury. RTS also names Isaac Bonga, a German player, as another returnee to Belgrade.
What shape are Partizan and Panathinaikos in?
Panathinaikos is one of two unbeaten EuroLeague teams, along with Valencia. It has four wins and a point differential of plus 83, and leads the table. Ahead of the trip to Belgrade, it also won away at Fenerbahce, which RTS counts as the Athenians’ first serious test this season.
Partizan is 3-1. It beat Olimpia Milano, Paris and Bayern, then lost to Real in Madrid, 76-86. In its preview, RTS argues that the game exposed weaknesses, above all a heavy reliance on Carlik Jones.
Partizan coach Joan Penarroya told a press conference how strong he considers the opponent:
The upcoming game is very important and difficult. Panathinaikos is first in the standings, and has beaten every opponent by 15 or 20 points. They open the game very well and then close it out. They have very good players, probably the best roster in the EuroLeague. It is clear to us that we have to play a very good game if we want a chance to win. We need great support from our fans and we have to play a great game.
Obradovic summed up his expectations in one sentence, carried by RTS: “What I expect, above all, is a tough basketball game.”
What does Partizan’s center say about Obradovic and the locker room?
Geoffrey Lauvergne, Partizan’s center, spoke to Mozzart Sport about both Obradovic and the rules in the locker room. On welcoming the former coach, he said:
Everyone here adores Zeljko. He did historic and incredible things for Partizan, but now he is on another team’s bench and that is simply professional sport. We want to beat Panathinaikos and it is entirely sporting.
On the opponent he was just as direct: “Panathinaikos is right now surely one of the best teams in all of Europe, if not the best.”
Lauvergne also spoke about discipline under Penarroya:
We have clear rules of conduct, they are very simple and normal. If you ask me which ones… Well, being on time every day, no being late anywhere… Always wearing the Partizan shirt and club insignia. But all of that is the most normal thing in the world! And you know what? Nobody in the locker room makes a problem out of it.
He added that last season it “simply was not like that.”
Who else plays in the EuroLeague tonight?
Tuesday brings six more games: Fenerbahce vs Zalgiris at 7:45 pm, ASVEL vs Crvena zvezda at 8:00 pm, Barcelona vs Maccabi and Olimpia Milano vs Real Madrid at 8:30 pm, alongside Baskonia vs Dubai, and finally Valencia vs Olympiacos at 9:00 pm.
Partizan and Panathinaikos tip off at 8:30 pm in Belgrade Arena. RTS estimates that a first defeat for Panathinaikos would be a big springboard for Partizan, and especially for Penarroya’s position as Obradovic’s successor on the bench.
