When Zeljko Obradovic last resigned: A Fenerbahce story that mirrors Partizan today

Zeljko Obradovic has submitted his resignation at Partizan after the loss to Panathinaikos in Round 13 of the EuroLeague, so it is worth remembering what happened the last time he did the same thing.

This takes us back to his time coaching Fenerbahce during the 2016–2017 season, when the team suffered a heavy defeat against Baskonia, 86–52. Immediately afterward, Zeljko Obradovic did the same thing — he offered his resignation.

The entire situation was explained by then-club president Aziz Yildirim:

“In Spain, we lost to Baskonia by almost 35. Then he got into a fight with the players and decided to resign. Ozan Balaban called me and said, ‘The apocalypse is breaking out here, Obradovic will resign’. They got it hard,” Yildirim recalled.

“They came back the next day. I called him to meet at the hotel at 11 am. He came, and we sat together.

‘They get paid but they do not play. How will I look you in the eye?’ he asked me.

I said, ‘Never mind, we did not bring you for a day or a year. Call your agent, let us extend the contract for three years, then you go to sleep.’

The next day they brought the contract and we signed it. Finished. We signed the contract in 5 minutes. Then we chatted until 4–5 in the morning. Our relationship was different, we were friends. We still talk,” the ex-president revealed.

At the end of the regular season, Fenerbahce finished fifth, then eliminated Panathinaikos in the playoffs, and went on to defeat Real Madrid in the semifinals and Olympiacos in the final at the Final Four to win the EuroLeague title — the ninth of Zeljko Obradovic’s career.

Partizan now finds itself in a similar situation. Zeljko Obradovic appeared disappointed at the press conference after the game against Panathinaikos and said he did not know the real reasons behind such poor performances from a team that was 3–2 after five rounds and is now 4–9, with only one win in the last nine EuroLeague games.

Will club president Ostoja Mijailovic make the same move and keep the most decorated coach of all time, or will he allow him to leave Partizan?

Time will tell.

😱WOW😱

Zeljko Obradovic offered his resignation to the Partizan board.

What the next move of president Ostoja Mijailovic should be? pic.twitter.com/dWYjq3qQ5J

— Basketball Sphere (@BSphere_) November 26, 2025