Serbia dominantly opened their EuroBasket 2025 campaign, cruising past Estonia in Riga with a 98-64 victory, leaving no doubt about their intentions in the tournament. The commanding win served as a confident start, yet head coach Svetislav Pesic made it clear that the team’s focus remains steady and disciplined.
At the postgame press conference, Pesic began with a practical request for the media.
“I have one request. It’s 23:30 – please respect our time. We cannot stay here an hour after the game waiting for the press conference. We want to hold it, but not for 30 minutes,” he said, underscoring the importance of efficiency even amidst the excitement of a big opening-day win.
Turning to the game itself, Pesic emphasized the value of perspective.
“We started the competition with a win, but we don’t want to underestimate or overestimate this triumph. The win is important for us, as always. That was our goal. But winning alone is not enough. We want more. And more. And more. We focus on finding solutions, giving players opportunities, and progressing individually. We are satisfied with our approach, concentration, and defense.”
Pesic also examined the broader context of Group A, which had seen Portugal defeat Czechia and Turkey overcome Latvia on the same day.
“I’ve already said this is a very tough group. There are three teams that are medal candidates. And now we’ve seen how strong Turkey is. I think Latvia can do much better – maybe they were under pressure – but we know it’s a team we highly respect. For me, this first day changes nothing. Serbia, Turkey, and Latvia are all candidates for the next round and for a medal.”
Despite the comfortable scoreline, Pesic was quick to point out that the team’s development is ongoing.
“We are a team developing both individually and collectively. Tougher opponents than Estonia await us. The guys gave their all on the court and should be congratulated. Their approach to defensive tasks was excellent. There’s always room for improvement, and we continue working on it. We coordinate and train as much as possible. We must also refine what we do well. We move forward. The next opponent is completely different – they have both inside and outside threats. Vanja can attest – we don’t watch or listen to what others do or say, but focus on our own game and discussions. We stay disciplined, making it difficult for anyone to get past us, and then we sit down to decide our next step,” Pesic concluded.
Serbia won convincingly, but the coach’s message was clear: the team needs to keep improving individually and as a group, and stay disciplined as tougher opponents approach.
“Serbia, Turkey, and Latvia are candidates for the next round, but also for a medal”
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) August 27, 2025
Plus, leaving the arena before midnight is a must #Eurobasket https://t.co/k0N5pq5Nvq
