SRB - Djordjevic at the helm

BELGRADE (FIBA Basketball World Cup) - They call him "Sale nazionale" in his own country, and now he will be just that.

Aleksandar Djordjevic, one of most successful players in the former Yugoslavia, is the new head coach of Serbia's national team.

Djordjevic has replaced Dusan Ivkovic, who decided not to continue in the role after guiding Serbia to a seventh-place finish at EuroBasket 2013 and to a place in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup.

"I answered 'Yes!' as soon as I got the call," Djordjevic said.

"My sincere wish is to transfer my huge amount of energy and enthusiasm to our players. It's a great honor, a great responsibility, and I'm very well aware of that."

After a terrific playing career at Partizan Belgrade, Djordjevic turned out for Philips (Milano), Filodoro, Teamsystem (both Bologna), the Portland Trail Blazers, Barcelona, Real Madrid, Scavolini Pesaro and Armani Jeans Milano, the club where he started his coaching career in 2006.

"Serbia isn't a basketball powerhouse anymore, but no one can take our right to become that with hard work," said Djordjevic.

The level of commitment by players has been good, but could be better as some high profile stars have been reluctant to turn out for the national squad.

"You know,” Djordjevic said, "I was in the army.

He then laughed and said: "We'll solve that with rifles.

“No, that's a joke, of course. Everyone can be replaced in the team, but not players. I will be sincere in talks with them. I'll do my best to reduce that number of guys who don't want to play for Serbia, that can't be stopped. But, I’ll do my best."

At his unveiling to the Serbia media, Djordjevic said his aim is not just for the national team to play well at the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain, but to beat one of best sides in the world, the hosts.

"That's my little, private goal, to defeat Spain," he said.

"My real, big goal, is to have a good relationship with the players."

Djordjevic, who won the European Champions Cup with Partizan, gold medals at the 1998 FIBA World Championship and the EuroBaskets in 1991, 1995 and 1997, added that he won't pursue foreign players to play for Serbia.

"I'm not into that," he said.

"I mean, that's not a long-term quality. If I could choose, I would like to have CSKA's Kyle Hines in my team, but, I must
repeat, I'm not for that kind of solution,” he said.

"There are not many good 'international' (naturalized) players to have shone at the highest level for their new national team, except Russia's EuroBasket winner J.R. Holden," Djordjevic said.

FIBA