By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Zarko Paspalj, one of the most beloved persons in European basketball, was never shy about his opinions, and he didn’t hesitate before Eurobasket 2025.
Speaking to Mozzart Sport, the two-time Eurobasket champion (photo), world champion of 1990, and two-time Olympic silver-medalist gave his blessing to the current team without being afraid of a possible jinx.
“What is there to say? Isn’t everything as clear as day? What is there to analyze?” he said before adding without leaving any doubts: “What more is there to say? When you are the strongest, then you are the strongest. Serbia is the strongest, without any doubt. I don’t see who can stop us on the way to gold”.
As he explained, referring to the quarterfinal defeat to Italy back in 2022: “I don’t see that we have a real opponent, someone who could stop us. I really believe that the time has come for that gold, just so that Italy doesn’t happen again. One game is one game; something unexpected can always happen, a bad day. Italy happened to us and showed us the way to some future triumphs. Like the one at the Olympic Games in Paris. If we have such an approach, I don’t see a worthy opponent. Everything is absolutely up to us”.
According to Paspalj, having the Eurobasket one year after the Olympics creates a lot of issues for a lot of the teams, namely absences: “The European Championship is very easy to predict, when it comes after the Olympic Games. Everyone is kind of empty, and that happened this summer as well. We see what the Spanish, French, and other teams look like. Few teams in the championship are in the strongest squad.”
And for Paspalj, that’s the difference with Serbia: “We are the complete opposite. We have created a solid core that became even more solid after the Olympic Games, and you can see that they have unity, that they want that long-awaited gold medal. I wish them that from the bottom of my heart, and I think they will succeed with due respect to everyone, we are absolutely the strongest”.