What was your impression (if you had one) about Luxembourg when you first came here? What is it now?

After spending more than a decade coaching in Northern Europe, establishing contact with T71 was positive refreshment and looked very challenging. Pre-impressions: Don’t like to have pre-impressions about anything (due to lack of proper info about), which might build a wrong picture, based of non-qualified prejudice. Post-impressions: Now, pretty much all, that I had an opportunity to experience, confirmed that moving to Luxembourg was a very right move of mine. But, to pin-point at least something specific, I’ll say that multi-cultural cohabitating; willingness of local people to accept different, ability of "ausländer" to adapt to local and mutual work to make life of all better should be role-model for all countries in the World.

What’s the difference between Luxembourg and Montenegro, privately and professionally?

This will be hard to describe shortly… Luxembourg: Safety (all types of), organization, discipline, preciseness, certainty, respecting schedules, ecology care … Absence of nepotism, corruption, arrogance … Real democracy … Normal life, where private financial problems might occur only in case of being greedy or fully non-realistic … Montenegro (and ex-Yugoslavia republics): Opposite of stated

How is the COVID situation evolving in Montenegro?

Luckily, thanks to rigorous measures, in Montenegro, there’s 324 infected and 9 diseased (within approx. 630.000 citizens). In Serbia there’s 11.354 infected and 242 diseased (within approx. 7.000.000 citizens). Pandemic is getting weaker, less and less infected with weaker and weaker symptoms and last couple of days with 0 diseased. So, we might say it’s getting closer and closer for this pandemic to be terminated. But, still there are various social and individual regulations to be strictly followed for minimizing risks to infect or to be infected.

How do you manage your situation to be away from your family for such long periods?

Thanks to unlimited support from my wife and her understanding what it REALLY means to be married to a professional basketball coach and our mutual willingness to sacrifice my presence there in order to provide a better living and individual developing condition for our kids is making this separation manageable, despite how hard really it is. Beside, big thanks to Skype, Viber and Facebook Messenger who’re making us much closer.

Could you imagine living and/or working in Luxembourg for a couple of more years? Could you imagine a life here in Luxembourg?

Easy question – easy answer … Absolutely … Simply, I’ve met too many warm open-minded, friendly and hospitable people here to imagine different than absolutely.

What’s the difference between kids from Luxembourg and Montenegro & ex-Yugoslavia?

Huh … So similar and so different … Maybe, kids from ex-Yugoslavia are born and raised to be competitive, to be different better than others … Our kids would never participate into something just to participate, just cause of socializing reasons (unless is obligational) … Can I massively improve, can I become really good or best possible? Yes? I’m in … That’s a mind-set of our kids … Willingness to sacrifice small daily fun during the road for an ultimate fun at the end of the road … Simply, when do you feel better: After winning or losing? Not important? OK, why we have Digibou, scoreboards, statistical numbers as a proof of doing something good/bad? Don’t like it? OK, start biking alone; jogging alone … We don’t mix a sport and random occasional non-obligational physical activity … That’s why we’re so good in sport …

What did you like most about T71?

Support, respect, willingness to help, to assist, warmness, closeness, almost like big family relations, constant positive evolution (even some decisions are obstructing faster and more smooth getting there).

Clubs in Luxembourg are 99% volunteers. How is that in Montenegro (and ex-Yugoslavia)?
Due to very imperfect financial conditions, it’s close to be called volunteers (if not already). There are some Clubs with really big budgets, participating in top-level European Clubs competitions. Others (with almost no budget) are more local oriented, focusing on playing with young prospects and developing/boosting them, not chasing results, trophies, titles … When those prospects evolve, moving to a bigger Club on a higher level is normal and logical … We don’t choke prospects with selfishness (making them stay local forever), being afraid that Club will disappear if prospect go … No, when he leave, we start a quest for a new potential prospect to be developed) … Instead, helping them to become best they can be …

Where do clubs from Luxembourg do the biggest mistakes in your eyes?

Youth sections in most of Clubs here mostly just exist. Minimalistic activities to just to be active somehow. And trying to compensate it with all types of Import players, thinking they’ll make a boost.

OK … How long do you have Imports? … And difference is? …

Youth National teams are moved from B to A Divisions in European Youth Championships? Yes/No? … Youth teams are winning big European Tournaments for youth on a highest level? Yes/No? … There are young prospects playing Euroleague? Yes/No? … Senior National team is overfilled with prospects, who’re so developed to make National Team playing vs. higher level basketball countries (instead of forever playing vs. Portugal, Cyprus, etc.)? Yes/No? … Than something is wrong … Too many excuses (I’ve learned all to declare them like a kids are declaring a poem in the school) and all of them are … (here, to stay polite, I’ll skip typing one fully adequate word at the end of previous sentence) … Like: We’re small country, we’re working 40hrs/week, we don’t have a tradition, it’s hard (and many others) … To conclude: Stop finding excuses for not doing it, like it should be done. Instead, FIND A WAY TO DO IT …

What tips do you have for T71 in the future? Where can the club do improvements?

Changes (even new), unusual things, out of routines … Be more open to them (if they’re coming from reliable well experienced source) … If not, even you might have an illusion appearance of improvement, you’re not evolving/developing … You’re staying the same … And having in mind how much people are talking about how hard is to "find a money", the most important thing is: All damages are fixable and can be compensated, except one … Wasted time … And since time is money … Well, you do the math …

Do you have a golden card for the STEP in Dudelange?

This is considered as a funny question? HAHAHAHAHA … Well, always was ecological oriented, so visiting STEP in Dudelange very often is my small modest individual contribution to make our environment here best it could be … And, if all of us do the same (or similar), there will be some serious positive changes easy to see, feel, breath, drink, smell …

Why do people call you Roberto on Facebook?

HAHAHAHAHA … Assuming, this came from my friend Yves Reuland … Just an alternative FB profile of my son (used for playing some games more frequently, when he was younger) and I’ve used it for selling/buying some private items … As an IT outdated and "analogue" person (data can be deleted and/or misused, paper cannot), still not fully convinced that my on-line privacy is bullet-proof protected. Therefore …

We would also like to thank Nenad again for this interview... and more generally for his professionalism, work ethic and commitment over the past 4 years at T71! As he seems to have a lot of energy left in his tank, we wish him all the best for the rest of his career!