We’re Driven to Achieve Excellence in Our Qualifications
Marko Simonović, Photo: FIBA
Marko Simonović, a player for Istanbul Bahçeşehir, participated in his first training session with the Montenegrin national team last night, having been unable to join earlier due to his club obligations.
Simonović is expected to be a key player for coach Boško Radović in the upcoming qualifying matches for the European Championship, set to take place from August 27 to September 14 in Latvia, Poland, Finland, and Cyprus.
Montenegro will face the reigning world champion, Germany, tomorrow (19:3, free entry) at the “M:tel Morača Hall.” Ahead of this match, they hold a record of 1-XNUMX and can only miss out on EuroBasket due to various circumstances.
“Thanks to our victories against Bulgaria in November, we are in a good position and should qualify for the European Championship. However, the theoretical work is not yet complete; securing one more victory would be crucial in obtaining our EuroBasket qualification. The upcoming matches against Germany and Sweden will certainly be challenging,” Simonović stated cautiously.
Following the confrontation with Germany, Montenegro will take on Sweden on Sunday (17.30:XNUMX).
“These will be tough battles, but we aim for nothing less than victory to finish the qualifications on a high note and secure our EuroBasket place, as we prefer not to rely on other teams’ results. Germany is the world champion and we might not be at full strength, so it’s going to be difficult. Nevertheless, surprises are possible when we play in front of our fans. That’s why I urge everyone to come out and support us in large numbers,” the Montenegrin national team player emphasized.
It remains to be seen if Montenegro will clinch its EuroBasket spot against the world champions on Thursday evening.
“We have immense motivation, and it’s encouraging that our fate is in our hands. We may not be the strongest squad, but we have quality. It’s been a long time since we played such a significant match at ‘Morača,’ a venue where great teams have faced defeat, so I still hold hope that with strong support, we can achieve something remarkable,” Simonović concluded.
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