Oliver Popoviс: "The main idea is to prepare players for the first team and show good basketball"

The head coach of Zenit’s reserve team, Oliver Popovic, shared his initial impressions of working within the club's system. The Serbian coach evaluated the facilities of the blue-whites Basketball Academy and shared his expectations for the upcoming Super League season. Read more in our first extensive interview with the coach.

— Welcome to Zenit! Have you formed a first impression of the new club?

— I've come to a club that has been considered one of the best in Russia for several years. So, my impressions are only positive.

— How would you assess the facilities and equipment of the Zenit Basketball Academy?

— From what I see, the organization here is top-notch. Starting from the Children’s Youth Basketball League teams and the youth teams to the Super League, the selection process is excellent. The conditions are very good.

— Zenit-2 is the pinnacle of our club's reserve development system. It's the closest reserve for the first team. What is important to instill in the players at this stage?

— The main idea is for each of these guys to progress individually and to move towards the first team. They need to work hard to prepare themselves for a higher level, the VTB United League.

— You are well-acquainted with Russia, having played for UNICS and Lokomotiv for several years, and during your coaching career, you led the youth team of Kazan. Now, you're making your debut as a head coach in the Russian Super League. What do you know about this championship?

— You know, at UNICS, I worked with the CYBL team for the first time in my life. I've spent my entire life working only with first teams, so the Super League is very familiar to me in terms of intensity and competition. I studied the championship last year, and I know that the level is very high and that there are many teams with outstanding players. It will be a very serious challenge.

— Last season was truly successful for Zenit-2. The team reached the semifinals and was just one step away from the bronze medals. What needs to be done to repeat that success?

— I think it was a very big achievement for a young team. The most important task this year is for Zenit-2 to play good basketball. Good, serious basketball. If we manage to reach last year's success, that would be fantastic. But if not, I repeat, the main idea is to prepare players for the first team and show good basketball.

— The training process has just begun. What is your first impression of the team and the players?

— As for my staff: the assistant coach, the doctor-masseur, and the team manager, everything is fine so far. I just need some time to get to know the guys; the first 2-3 weeks will be tough. We will get to know each other better — what they can do, what I expect from them. We will probably work somewhat differently than with the previous coach. This doesn’t mean anything bad or good. Every coach has their own approach. So, we need a couple of weeks to adjust.

— The team consists of many young players who have gone through the entire reserve training system. In your opinion, how important is this for the club?

— I think it’s very important. And Zenit is one of the few clubs that work like this in Russia. I currently have two players on my team who started in the CYBL, then played for Zenit U21, and will now compete in the Super League, and hopefully, make it to the first team. This is very important, and I think this system works well.

— Can you share the team’s pre-season preparation plans?

— At the moment, we know that we have friendly games on September 1 and 18, and then we will participate at the Petrenko Memorial Tournament in Moscow. But if we manage to play 2-3 matches between the 1st and 18th, that would be ideal.