Crvena Zvezda in trouble; Maljkovic to the rescue?
July 30, 2008 by Christophe
After the not-so-surprising collapse of Akasvayu Girona in Spain, the team of Crvena Zvezda Belgrade is also in serious financial trouble. They tried to bring back their former Bozidar Maljkovic in order to bring some order to the Red House, but Maljkovic declined the offer.
A recent article in Serbian newspaper Blic explained the difficult situation that the Serbian team is facing these days a bit:
[The] Red Star basketball club is still without a board of directors, a coach, players and, perhaps most importantly, without the all-important funding.
Sounds like nothing is in order right now. The remaining members of management are trying everything in order to save the traditional Serbian team. But the situation is not easy, with only four players under contract at the moment and a sum of €80,000 to play next year, something which is of course by far not enough to compete.
Bozidar Maljkovic, who was asked to take over the coaching job, declined to take over this duty, however. And his argumentation was pretty direct.
Having won 25 international titles and entered 7 final four tournaments, in my place, who would take over a club which will surely miss out on Euroleague basketball for the next four years at least? Money is not an issue. Anyway, coaches in Serbia earn five times less than those abroad. I will not accept becoming the Red Star head coach, and have never considered that option.
Though the Serbian star coach wants to help the team all he can, he is not ready to coach under the current conditions.
If the new board of directors want me on the team, I’ll say yes, but I won’t be there for them at all times if I can accept an offer from a European club. I just couldn’t say no to the Red Stars’ call for help, as they are a part of my life. I spent six years in the club and I would love to see Red Stars prevail.
But the situation in Belgrade is not the easiest at the moment and things move very slowly. Despite being on holiday, the remaining management is meeting in Belgrade in order to find a way out of the crisis. And like Maljkovic says:
Crises are not always a bad thing…
Red Star has debts round about 4 million Euros, this for they asked the gouvernment for help with no success. In the last week the club started negotiations with FMP in order to fusion the clubs as the only way to rescue the groggy club. FMP chairman Covic is interested in that offer ant the two partys will meet tomorow to finalize the agrement.
Covic is going to be the President of Red Star provided with the whole execution power, leaving his function in FMP to Radovanic or his son.
The three FMP gyms and the modern medical center will be at the disposal of both clubs saving money for Red Star renting facilities for traingsessions.
The financial aspect would be left aside since most of the debts are not bank loans but of a private nature.
The Red Star team in this constellation would be at the top of the pyramid with FMP serving as a farm team (as it already is for Olympiakos..).
6-7 FMP players will switch to Res Star and two americans are going to be hired making the team competible again.
In the same time FMP is going to promote some young players in their team in Adriatic leage and Eurocup, some of them 18 y old, e.g. Milutinovic and Raduljica etc.
im tired of writing now…
[...] traditional Belgrade basketball team Crvena Zvezda was close to folding just one month ago; with €80,000 in bank and only four players left, the future looked not very bright for the former champions. But things have changed in recent [...]