Cedevita Olimpija gathered for the first time in preseason

Head coach Jurica Golemac greeted young players, Dan Duščak, Luka Ščuka, Alen Hodžić, Miha Cerkvenik, Žiga Daneu, Nil Jovanović and Robert Jurković at Monday morning’s practice, alongside Mangok Mathiang and Marko Radovanović, who will join the team at the evening’s practice. They arrived in Ljubljana last weekend. All the remaining basketball players will join the team in the coming days.

“We are rested and full of enthusiasm for work. The preparation period for players is certainly not easy. We are waiting for everyone to come together and for the hard work to begin. At the beginning, of course, there will be a greater emphasis on gaining physical strength, and later it will be time to practice tactics,” said the head coach of the Dragons, Jurica Golemac, after the first practice. “All the players who come to the preparations know what awaits them. We were in contact with them throughout the summer, and the newcomers also communicated with our fitness trainer. We expect everyone to come optimally prepared so that we can move on to basketball itself, playing tactical ideas and playing five on five in the shortest possible time. We definitely need to do all the medical testings first to see in what condition the guys will join us in the preseason, and that we can get them ready for work because we don’t want injuries to happen. We have enough time. We will intensify our work day by day.”

Alen Hodžić was present at the practice as one of the more experienced players of the team. “We are back in Stožice. I can’t wait for the season to start, and for all the other players to join us in the preparations, to get to know all the newcomers on our team,” said Hodžić with a smile on his face. “I think the team will be very good, and we will catch up well, and we will have to prove that on the court.”

Cedevita Olimpija is expected to play six preparation matches in August and September. On Saturday, August 28, they will face EWE Baskets Olderburg in Rogla, and on Monday, August 30, they will face Mitteldeutscher in Stožice. Both matches will be closed for the public. The trip to Croatia will follow, where Cedevita Olimpija will take part in an international tournament between 1 and 3 September, where the teams of Cibona, Partizan and Pesaro will also play. On Monday, September 6, one of the best eight teams of the elite Euroleague last season will play in Stožice, and the match will be open to the public and fans. On Friday, September 10, Zagreb’s Cibona will play in the preparation match closed to the public in Stožice.

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Začetek priprav Cedevita Olimpije na novo sezono

Košarkarji Cedevite Olimpije so v ponedeljek v stoženski lepotici v nekoliko okrnjeni zasedbi vstopili v novo tekmovalno sezono 2021/22. Glavnino pripravljalnega obdobja bo četa glavnega trenerja Jurice Golemca opravila v Ljubljani, le v začetku septembra bodo kratko obdobje preživela v hrvaški Opatiji, kjer jo čaka pripravljalni turnir.

Glavni trener Jurica Golemac je na ponedeljkovem dopoldanskem treningu pozdravil mlade košarkarje, Dana Duščaka, Luko Ščuko, Alena Hodžića, Miho Cerkvenika, Žigo Daneua, Nila Jovanovića in Roberta Jurkovića, na večernem treningu pa se bosta ekipi pridružila še Mangok Mathiang in Marko Radovanović, ki sta v Ljubljano prispela minuli konec tedna. Vsi preostali košarkarji se bodo moštvu priključili v prihajajočih dneh.

»Spočiti smo in polni elana za delo. Pripravljalno obdobje za igralce zagotovo ni lahko. Čakamo, da se vsi skupaj zberemo, in da se začne trdo delo. Na začetku bo seveda večji poudarek na pridobivanju fizične moči, kasneje pa bo na vrsti tudi uigravanje taktike,« je po uvodnem treningu povedal glavni trener Zmajev, Jurica Golemac. »Vsi igralci, ki pridejo na priprave, vedo, kaj jih čaka. Skozi celotno poletje smo bili z njimi v kontaktu, tudi novinci so komunicirali z našim trenerjem za telesno pripravo. Pričakujemo, da vsi pridejo optimalno pripravljeni, da lahko v najkrajšem možnem času preidemo na samo košarko, uigravanje taktičnih zamisli in igro pet na pet. Zagotovo moramo najprej opraviti vse zdravstvene preglede, da vidimo, v kakšnem stanju se nam bodo fantje pridružili na pripravah, in da jih lahko pripravimo na delo, saj si ne želimo, da pride do poškodb. Časa imamo dovolj. Naše delo bomo stopnjevali iz dneva v dan.«

Od igralcev, ki premorejo več izkušenj, je bil na ponedeljkovem dopoldanskem treningu prisoten le Alen Hodžić, ki je minulo sezono s Cedevito Olimpijo osvojil svoj drugi naslov državnega prvaka v karieri.

»Smo nazaj v Stožicah. Komaj čakam, da se sezona začne, in da se nam na pripravah pridružijo tudi vsi preostali igralci, da spoznamo tudi vse novince v našem moštvu,« je z nasmehom na obrazu dejal Hodžić. »Menim, da bo ekipa zelo dobra, in da se bomo dobro ujeli, to pa bomo morali dokazati tudi na igrišču.«

Cedevita Olimpija bo v avgustu in septembru predvidoma odigrala šest pripravljalnih tekem. V soboto, 28. avgusta, se bodo na Rogli pomerili z EWE Baskets Olderburgom, v ponedeljek, 30. avgusta, pa v Stožicah z Mitteldeutscherjem. Obe tekmi bosta za javnost zaprti. Sledila bo pot na Hrvaško, kjer bo Cedevita Olimpija med 1. in 3. septembrom sodelovala na mednarodnem turnirju, kjer bodo nastopale še ekipe Cibone, Partizana in Pesara. V ponedeljek, 6. septembra, bo v Stožicah gostovala ena od najboljših osmih ekip elitne Evrolige v minuli sezoni, tekma pa bo odprta za javnost in navijače. V petek, 10. septembra, bo v Stožicah na pripravljalni tekmi, zaprti za javnost, gostovala še zagrebška Cibona.