The idea has been in the head of Imad Fattal for a while now. Circumstances favored his hatching: the Lions had been without a coach since the departure a few weeks ago of Adnan Chuk, who had wished to return to Sweden. But since last night, the Geneva basketball flagship team has a new coach: Andrej Stimac, 41. A return to the fold for the ex-Lions player (2012-2015), who was in charge of the Friborg Olympic Academy and assistant coach of the first team.
“Frankly, seeing him wear the Friborg suit has always hurt me a bit,” said President Fattal. I had already thought of him last year. But he insisted on respecting his contract in Friborg, which is to his credit. This time there was an exit door. And I am very happy to see him come back home. Andrej Stimac is back home, the right man for the Lions. ”
The player is known. He made the heyday of Geneva, with two championship titles (2013 and 2015). But will the exceptional player be a top quality coach? The point is, he has no coaching experience at this level.
“That’s perfectly true,” says Imad Fattal. It’s a gamble, we’re going with a rookie coach. But Andrej knows Swiss basketball perfectly. It’s a thoughtful choice. I have received a multitude of spontaneous offers, but I am convinced that Andrej Stimac is the man we need. He is there for the long term, even if this first contract is for two years. He is not a mercenary. This is a new cycle that is opening for Lions, we want to build with it and give ourselves time for it to work. We have already exchanged ideas, but it is still too early to talk about the team, especially under the current circumstances. “
Daniel Visentini
Created: 04.17.2020, 10:25 a.m.
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