Zalgiris Kaunas parted ways with Serbian coach Aco Petrovic ahead of the team’s home game against Caja Laboral in Euroleague according to basketnews.lt. Petrovic will be replaced by Rimantas Grigas who joined the club a month ago as a sports director. Grigas was a head coach of Zalgiris a couple of years ago. He had to leave the team when it was hit by the financial crisis.
Aco Petrovic led Zalgiris to five wins and three losses in Euroleague, however, the team wasn’t playing to its full potential. The pressure on the coach increased after Zalgiris lost at home against Maccabi after wasting an 8-point lead in the dying minutes. Soon after that game the rumours surfaced that Petrovic has been given an ultimatum – either win against Asseco Prokom and stay or lose and you will be fired.
Rimantas Grigas denied the rumours in the media though. Zalgiris took a hard win in Poland but looked hopeless two days later in Ukraine against Azovmash and lost the game.
