Aleksander Sekulic: "I was very happy and flattered that I got an offer from Zenit"
— Aleksander, we are glad to welcome you in Zenit! Tell us, how quickly did you make the decision to become head coach of the club from St. Petersburg?
— No, it didn't take too much time because of the reputation the club has, knowing what club means not only to Russian basketball but to European basketball.
— Who did you consult with before joining Zenit?
— I spoke briefly with Xavi, but also I knew before what to expect from this club and I was very happy and flattered that I got an offer from them.
— You had previously worked successfully in Russia. Does this mean that you won't need extra time to adapt?
— I think, yeah, I know the Russian, let's say, mentality, I hope I know. I know what to expect from the league, so it's going to be probably quicker adaptation than it was in the previous club, Loko.
— A year ago you said that you would like to speak Russian better. Was there time to speak even more fluently?
— Yeah, I was on a good way, but this was one year I was not in Russia, so I became a little bit more rusty. I need a little bit more time to come back and hopefully I'm going to be able to speak Russian much better than I was.
— If it's not a secret, tell us please who will join your coaching staff?
— Let's not talk about it right now, because it's not so sure about everything.
— The EuroBasket starts at the end of August, will you be with Zenit or with the Slovenian national team at this moment?
— The plan is to be with the national team. That's why we're going to be careful, really precise with the plan. We know from the previous years how to react, how to work on this. We were very successful. I think we can use this also as an advantage.
— When you left Russia last summer, it felt like you hadn't fully reached your potential. What goals do you set for yourself in your debut season in St. Petersburg?
— Come on, when you are in a club like Zenit it goes only the highest ones. So for sure our main goal was going to try to be the best team in Russia.
— You have already said that you spoke with Xavi Pascual before joining Zenit. What did he tell you?
— I spoke with him quite a lot. He spent amazing five years here, he had a great results. He brought also title and was very close to the historic Final four of EuroLeague. Many titles like Supercup, Cup… So he can speak only highly of this club. He didn't tell me this but I believe it was not an easy decision for him to not continue with Zenit.
— So you have to continue after Xavi. Is it a special feeling?
— He put the standards really high, so it's gonna be very challenging to meet these standards basically stepping into the shoes of Xavi Pascual, who has already EuroLeague title, has great results behind him, so it's gonna be very challenging.
— Did you follow Zenit's performance last season? In your opinion, what Zenit lacked in the finals?
— The freshness, probably. I think they had an exhausting semifinal series, which didn't help them in the finals. I think CSKA was more fresh. And also injuries, which were probably the result of this, what I said previously. It was the small details that decided this. During the season, I think Zenit played amazing basketball and everybody, including me, expected them to win the title.
— Nobody knows better than you how it is to travel and play seven games with Krasnodar.
— No, it's very difficult, but it is what it is. So the club needs to look forward and there's another season and new chances to win the title.
— You know Alexander Shcherbenev's abilities perfectly well. Are you happy to be reunited with him?
— I know him very well. He came to Zenit because of his qualities. I think he has a lot of space to improve but if he's going to be progressing in his game like he was doing so far, I think he can be a great player.
— We remember how your team shone in the playoffs two years ago. You beat CSKA and then Georgy Zhbanov with Vince Hunter stopped your team in the finals. Now you have a chance to coach Georgy. Did you follow his success?
— He improved a lot. I mean, he became a serious player. With the abilities he has, he can help the team win titles.
— What do you want to say to Zenit fans who are looking forward to new victories?
— I mean I just want to say hello to everybody, to try to continue the high standards that were set because with Zenit we want only the best results and hopefully they will support us the same way or even more in the next season.
