More than nine years after leaving the position of coach in Munich, Svetislav Pesic returned to Bayern with a smile. "Good evening - I'm back," said the former champion coach, who took over the bench to great surprise basketball player Bayern from the coach of the German championship team, Gordon Herbert. "I have only one goal here - to get better as soon as possible," said the seventy-six-year-old.
Bayern president: Pešić will help in the next six months
Pešić, for whom after the unexpected relegation of Serbia from European Championship completed his role as coach in September, he first took over Bayern in the fall of 2012 and led it until 2016. Then in 2014, he celebrated one of his five German championship titles, while he won the others with Alba from Berlin, writes DW.
"Svetislav will help us in the next six months," said club president Herbert Heiner. And after that? It is still "too early to speculate about the summer", said the first man of the club.
Heiner praised the "old leaf" and wished that the team not only plays successfully, but also delights the audience. Pešić looked at the president and said that, despite all the spectacular moves, victories are the most important. "No one is forgotten when they lose," said the experienced coach.
Experienced trainer with great success
Pešić does not lack success. In 2002, he won the title of world champion with the former Yugoslavia, and in 2001 he was the champion of Europe. At Olympic Games In 2024, in Paris, Serbia won the bronze medal under his leadership. In the fight for third place, Germany was defeated, which Pešić led to the title of European champion back in 1993. In addition, this coaching veteran has won numerous European and national trophies with club teams.
"Svetislav knows Munich, he knows Bayern and both leagues; some of us also know him very well - his adjustment period should therefore be short," said sports director Dragan Tarlać. "That, along with his vast experience, gives us a good feeling about this decision." Tarlać also stated that two candidates refused the offer, because they did not want to take the job at this stage of the season and for such a short period of time.
Father comes, son goes
Due to his wealth of experience and previous work in Munich, the adjustment period for Pešić should really be short. The seventy-six-year-old did not think long before accepting the offer. "My job is to get to know the players as soon as possible," said Pešić and repeated his well-known principle: "I believe in discipline and responsibility."
It is interesting that his son Marko is leaving the post of General Manager of Bayern at the end of the year. "Two would be too many," the father commented dryly.
At a home game Euroleague on Tuesday evening against the leader Hapoel from Tel Aviv, Pešić will already be on the bench. "He knows the EuroLeague inside out," Heiner said. After eight consecutive defeats in the Euroleague, the leader of the Bundesliga is now hoping to take off on the European stage as well.
"These are just not the standards we have," Heiner said of the international setbacks. With only five wins from 17 games, the team occupies the penultimate place in the table and already has practically no chance of qualifying for the playoffs.
Too many disappointments in the Euroleague
The Bavarians only parted ways with Herbert on Saturday. The Canadian sensationally led the German national team to the title of world champion in the summer of 2023. After the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris, where he narrowly missed out on a medal, he said goodbye to the position of coach and moved to Bayern. This sixty-six-year-old coach won the championship title with the Bavarian club in 2025. However, in the Euroleague, weakened by injuries, Bayern seriously disappointed this season.
Source: DW
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