The Montenegrin national basketball team is gearing up for two warm-up matches ahead of the European Championship, having already made a positive impression. Under Boško Radović’s guidance, the team faced France in their first friendly, ending in a close loss (81:75), but bounced back with a victory against Bosnia and Herzegovina on Sunday in “Skenderija” (102:90).

With two weeks remaining until the championship kicks off, the national team’s performance is building confidence for their obligations in Tampere, Finland. This summer, Igor Drobnjak, a key player for the team and a new addition from Spartak Subotica, is expected to take on a more significant role compared to his previous experiences during Eurobasket and WorldBasket.

“We performed well against both Bosnia and Herzegovina and France. The game against BiH was especially strong. They have many skilled and experienced players, but we managed to maintain control throughout. We did experience some lapses, but significantly fewer than against France, which marks a positive trend. Considering this is just our second game, we are improving day by day,” Drobnjak shared with “Vijesti”.

The team departed for Thessaloniki today, where they will face Greece on Thursday (19th). Following that, they will play against Israel in Bar (17 August) and Turkey in Istanbul (22 August), before heading straight to Tampere.

“We’re steadily getting into form. We’ll have three challenging tests before the championship, which will be crucial for us. So far, everything is progressing smoothly.”

Montenegro will compete against hosts Germany, Lithuania, Sweden, and Great Britain in Finland. With four teams advancing to the knockout stage in Riga, Drobnjak is optimistic about the team’s chances.

“The group is tough. It may be premature to set specific goals or expectations while preparations are still underway. There are still about twenty days until the championship begins. I hope we can stay healthy. I believe we have what it takes to get through the group stage,” said the playmaker.

Drobnjak is slated to have a heightened role in the championship than he has in the past. With Nikola Ivanovic and Kendrick Perry absent, Kyle Olman has joined the squad. The Turk Telekom player did not participate in the games against Bosnia and Herzegovina and France but is expected to play against Greece.

“The lineup for point guards has changed a lot. Even Olman missed those two games, so I stepped in as the starting point guard. After a long time, I embraced that role and believe I justified it,” Drobnjak explained.

It is acknowledged that Montenegro will face challenges at the championship, missing players like Ivanovic, Bojan Dubljevic, Nemanja Radovic, Dino Radoncic, Petar Popovic, Luka Bogavac, Andrija Grbovic, David Mirkovic, and Fedor Zugic.

“A lot of players are absent. But this poses a challenge for those of us who previously had supporting roles. Now it’s our chance to step up and display our skills. The camaraderie among players and coaching staff has always been exceptional, making integration easy,” Drobnjak emphasized.

After making the switch from SC Derbi, Drobnjak will be playing for Spartak Subotica in the upcoming season, competing in the ABA League and the FIBA Champions League. His former coach at Buducnost, Vladimir Jovanović, will lead him at the Subotica club.

“After many years in Podgorica, I felt it was time for a change. Spartak appeared to be an excellent option. During discussions with the club, they outlined their vision, goals, and plans, which I found appealing. Spartak has made impressive strides, reaching the Champions League. I believe this is the right move for me this summer,” concluded Igor Drobnjak.

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