Backdoor Podcast had a chance to make a chat with Fenerbahce GM Maurizio Gherardini, talking about his long tenure as a GM in Europe and NBA, the situation of Fenerbahce after Obradovic-Kokoskov departure, and the Sasha Djordjevic era with a particular focus on Achille Polonora’s game. Finally we clarify the beef between Marko Guduric and Kyle Hines in last Olimpia-Fener game.
Some key quotes are down here, for the full version of the interview you can listen the podcast in Italian in the link below.
End of Obradovic and Kokoskov era:
When Obradovic decided to quit coaching for a sabbathical year, we were a little bit late in the market, but we (managed to appoint) appointed the new head coach and dealt with market moves with him. When Igor said us he wanted to return in the US, we’d already completed the team and selected the right players for his basketball thoughts. In this situations you have to be creative and think outside the box in order to find a solution and the right person for this job. These are two different situations but in both of them you have to be consistent, don’t push the panic button and put every decision in perspective. It is crucial to understand what is more urgent and what is not. I think Sasha made a great job taking a team not built on his basketball ideas and gain the best from it.
On Djordjevic selection:
He’s a relatively young coach and despite he had already coached big teams like Virtus Bologna with good results, Fenerbahce is a step up in his career with a chance for competing at the highest level in Europe.
I though he’ll be the right person for us because he has the right approach with the players and because he’s a very hard worker. He studies the game, tries to understand the situation and the opponent in a very possible way. He wants to be the best version of himself. Our first meeting was in Treviso at Eurocamp some years ago when I asked him to talk to the young players of the camp and he answered: ”What can I say to them about basketball?”
In that moment i understood he’s a great player but emphatic and humble too.
On Achille Polonara improvement:
No one expected this path for Achille at the beginning of his career, but he worked extremely hard on his game because in his mind wanted to accomplish a big goal. He made one step at a time and we can say now he’s at the highest point of his career. Sometimes shooting percentage comes and goes, but behind the millions of fans Fener has, the ball is a little heavier than normal, but his attitude and his presence in the game never go south and this is a big sign about his consistency.
About Hines-Guduric beef in Forum:
The european culture brings everybody to the highest possible level in every game, but in this situation the agonism heating the situation a little bit. I didn’t ask anything to Marco about what he said, but they talked to each other the day after and solved the situation . For me this is the most important thing: two great players who talk to each other and make the situation crystal clear. That’s it.
