Slovenian basketball coach Sekulić departs for Barcelona ahead of qualifiers

Slovenia's national basketball team faces a temporary leadership change as head coach Aleksander Sekulić has departed for Barcelona to join his new club. Sekulić missed the team's final training session in Tivoli and is expected to rejoin the squad in Paris on Tuesday.

The team has seen reinforcements with the arrival of Žiga Samar and Luka Ščuka. Samar joined late due to club preparations in Spain, while Ščuka returned early from the U.S. to answer the call-up. Sekulić thanked Gal Čop and Vito Hrabar for their contributions, noting Hrabar's ongoing back issues which might have made him unavailable for the upcoming games.

Slovenia is preparing for two critical FIBA World Cup 2027 qualifiers. They will face a strong French team in Paris on Thursday, featuring NBA players like Victor Wembanyama and experienced European talent. Three days later, they host Hungary in Ljubljana, a match Gregor Hrovat described as "decisive" for their World Cup aspirations.

Despite the challenges, Hrovat expressed the team's determination. "Although we are aware that the decisive match for us is Sunday's against Hungary, against whom we cannot afford another slip-up, we are not traveling to Paris with a white flag. Like every match, we will approach this one with maximum effort and hope for the best," he told Slovenian media.

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Although we are aware that the decisive match for us is Sunday's against Hungary, against whom we cannot afford another slip-up, we are not traveling to Paris with a white flag. Like every match, we will approach this one with maximum effort and hope for the best.