Serbia's coach's strong warning to their players at Eurobasket 2025

The Eurobasket 2025 is proving to be a solid start for Nikola Jokic's Serbia. The team has won their first 2 games, although coach Svetislav Pesic is not happy with the team's performance. That's why he has issued a strong warning to all of them.

After the victory against Portugal (80-69), the coach was clear in his analysis. Winning is not enough if the team does not reflect the identity expected of one of the top favorites in the tournament:

"Everyone saw the game. If you don't have enough concentration, you can't play our basketball. Today we were not ready. Maybe we talked too much about the next match against Latvia," a visibly upset Pesic declared.

The coach, who at 76 years old has a legendary career, made it clear that his expectations are way beyond just the score: 

"This is not the Serbian selection. The Serbian team doesn't always have to win, but it must show a level of commitment and concentration. What we saw today was the opposite of our first match against Estonia. No one will complain if we win, but our goal is not just to win but to improve every day."

Serbia: Positive results, mixed feelings

The numbers reflect a solid start:

• Serbia 98-64 Estonia: A dominant debut, with Nikola Jokic (11 points, 10 rebounds, 7 assists) excelling in all aspects and Nikola Jovic contributing 18 points.

• Portugal 69-80 Serbia: A harder victory, with a strong performance from Jokic (23 points and 10 rebounds), although the team's play was not as smooth.

The difference between both games is what concerns Pesic: "We have enough intelligence to learn from this. We respect everyone, but we must also respect ourselves," he added, emphasizing that the team's ambition goes beyond just getting through the group stage.

Point guard Marko Guduric echoed his coach's diagnosis: "Portugal played tough and physical, and we have to acknowledge that. But we need to be better prepared. We will be."

With Nikola Jokic shining and Nikola Jovic establishing himself as a great support, Serbia continues to be mentioned as a contender for the title. However, Pesic's remarks make it clear that in this team, statistics alone are not enough: identity, concentration, and discipline are as crucial as the points on the scoreboard.

This news is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El fuerte aviso del entrenador de Serbia a sus jugadores en el Eurobasket 2025