Crvena Zvezda are expected to maintain a similar budget next season, while club president Zeljko Drcelic also confirmed talks with Nikola Vucevic and left the door open to a future move.

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade president Zeljko Drcelic has provided details about the club’s projected budget for the 2026-27 season while also confirming that discussions were held with Nikola Vucevic.


Nikola Vucevic

Position
C

Age
35

Height
206 cm

Weight
118 kg

Birth place
Morges, Switzerland

According to Drcelic, the Serbian club’s budget will remain close to last season’s level, although several previous financial burdens have been removed.

Crvena Zvezda budget to remain at similar level

“The budget will be somewhere around the same level as last season, but it will not include certain burdens, such as the contracts of players who did not have a role in the squad or did not even play for Crvena Zvezda last season,” Drcelic told Meridian Sport.

Last season, Drcelic revealed that Crvena Zvezda’s budget is set to be around €20 million, meaning the club is expected to operate with a similar figure during the 2026-27 campaign.

The Crvena Zvezda president also rejected suggestions that the club spends tens of millions of euros without any financial limitations.

“I often hear stories that Crvena Zvezda spends tens of millions of euros or has no spending limit, which is completely untrue,” he said.

“Then, when the EuroLeague or specialist websites publish budgets based on exact data, many people ‘forget’ what we said.”

Drcelic explained that the club does not have an official salary ceiling but does not plan to give one player a contract that significantly exceeds the salaries of his teammates.

“We do not have a written rule for that kind of restriction, but it is clear that we have not had, and will not have, a player whose contract is significantly higher than those of the others,” he noted.

EuroLeague reward reduced by fines

Crvena Zvezda received a €400,000 reward from the EuroLeague for complying with the competition’s financial fair play regulations.

However, Drcelic revealed that almost half of that amount could be lost through fines.

“We are record-holders in that regard, and that is something all of us must change together, especially if we want to become a permanent EuroLeague member,” he said.

“With the money allocated to fines over the years, we could now have signed one major reinforcement or invested it in another important club project.”

Drcelic admitted that Crvena Zvezda cannot match the spending power of some EuroLeague teams but believes the club can compete through its organization and working conditions.

“The market determines players’ salaries. There are EuroLeague clubs that we simply cannot compete with financially,” he said.

“However, in terms of our organization and the conditions we currently provide, I can confidently say that we are among the top three clubs in Europe.”

Talks held with Nikola Vucevic Nikola Vucevic

Nikola Vucevic

Credit Scanpix

Drcelic also confirmed that Crvena Zvezda discussed a potential move with Vucevic this summer.

The veteran center is a known supporter of the Serbian club but ultimately decided to continue his NBA career.

“There were conversations,” Drcelic revealed. “First of all, Nikola is an excellent person, but he is also a great Zvezda supporter.

“That does not mean he will automatically become a Crvena Zvezda player.”

Drcelic explained that Vucevic’s family situation and long connection to the United States made a potential return to Europe a complicated decision.

“He is a family man who has lived in the United States for more than 20 years, since his high school days,” he said.

“Such moves are not easy, and in his case, money was absolutely not a factor.”

Although Vucevic remained in the NBA, Drcelic suggested that the possibility of him playing for Crvena Zvezda in the future has not been ruled out.

“We had a gentleman’s agreement that, if he did not receive an offer from the NBA, he would put on the Crvena Zvezda jersey,” Drcelic said.

“Since he is an elite athlete who continues to take care of his body and career, it is clear that the door has not been closed,” he concluded.

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