Serbia coach explodes over “ridiculous” FIBA windows after double loss to Türkiye
Serbia’s frustration with the international calendar resurfaced after the national team suffered two losses to Türkiye during the latest EuroBasket qualifying window.
According to BasketNews.lt, Serbia finished FIBA Window 2 without a win, falling 78,82 and 94,86 to EuroBasket silver medalist Türkiye within three days. The results left Serbia with a 2,2 record in Group C.
While the defeats mattered in the standings, much of the postgame discussion centered on the difficulties national teams face assembling squads during FIBA windows, when many top players remain with their clubs.
Two losses in three days
Serbia’s back to back defeats came against a Türkiye team that was able to rely heavily on players based in its domestic league.
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According to BasketNews.lt’s report from the postgame press conference, Serbia struggled to gather a full strength roster during the short international break. Several players who normally feature for the national team were unavailable because of club commitments across Europe.
The tight schedule also gave coaches limited time to prepare. National teams typically have only a few days to bring players together, install tactics, and play two qualifying games.
Alimpijevic calls the situation “ridiculous”
After the loss in Istanbul, Serbia head coach Dusan Alimpijevic openly criticized the current structure of the international calendar.
"It's terrible. I already said this, for me, this is totally insane. This is ridiculous," Alimpijevic said.
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"You know , I'm for that to ban everybody or to give a chance for everybody to play. This is very funny. This is ridiculous."
Alimpijevic explained that Serbia’s situation is often more complicated than that of countries whose players largely compete domestically.
"My federation did a lot of great things, made our job very easy as a coach. But unfortunately, your Turkish players are mostly in your country, and communication is much easier with your own clubs. In my case, we as a Serbia, we as a federation, we as a national team, we need to talk with some other countries' clubs, GMs. It's complicated."
"So, for me, this is really ridiculous. But it is what it is. We have to fight for the best."
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Calls grow for calendar agreement
Alimpijevic argued that the core issue lies in the clash between FIBA national team windows and major club competitions such as the EuroLeague.
"Nothing, they need to sit and find a common language, to find a common solution to stop this kind of thing," he said.
"We need to know what we are doing in FIBA windows. How is it possible to play EuroLeague or maybe some other leagues?"
He also pointed to the extremely limited preparation time national teams receive during these breaks.
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"It has to be some break and pause for the players to rest , for the coaches to rest , you know , to organize something. We had seven days. In every FIBA window , I'm meeting new people , which is very difficult for them to adjust to a system in just a couple of days."
Serbia still battling in group C
Despite the two defeats, Serbia remains in contention in Group C with a 2,2 record.
However, the latest qualifying window again highlighted the structural challenges facing national teams across Europe. Coaches often must assemble temporary rosters on short notice, with limited training time and uncertain player availability.
For Alimpijevic, the issue goes beyond a single qualifying round. According to BasketNews.lt, the Serbia coach believes Basketball’s governing bodies must eventually reach a compromise that allows national teams and club competitions to coexist without constant roster disruptions.
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Sources: BasketNews.lt, FIBA
