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News article on: Basketball

Image associated to news article on: A season of difficulties

Goodbye to Zoran Savic

The technical secretary of the FC Barcelona basketball team, Zoran Savic, left the club at the end of the season. Savic looked back on his three years in Catalonia with satisfaction and from a self-critical perspective.

He left a positive sensation in the club as the 2007/08 season drew to a close, having won the Copa del Rey in 2006/07 and reached the Final Four in Prague in 2005/06, as well as ensuring each year that Barça would be back in Europe’s premier club competition.

Meanwhile, there were other things that he will be remembered less favourably for, such as letting Navarro go and failing to hang on to Marc Gasol. On leaving, Savic said that the team lacked "social peace and tranquillity".

As for the fans, the technical secretary from 2005/06 to 2007/08 remarked that they had always supported the team and especially when the team had most needed them.

A season of difficulties

The 2007/08 season produced several problems that did not make the season an easy one for the basketball team. Most of these were injuries and other fitness problems involving players like Acker and Kasun.

The 2007/08 season started with the need to cover for the loss of an important player in Juan Carlos Navarro, a key figure both on and off the court. The technical secretary found a similar type of player, who could score regularly and was strong in the one-on-one, Alex Acker. But a knee injury followed by an operation at the end of his season with Olympiacos was a major setback for the team’s plans.

Acker with knee trouble

The North American, who had done so well at Olympiacos in 2006/07, was subjected to arthroscopy on the knee that had been giving him bother all year. The surgery was a success but did not give him enough time to recover in time to pass the medical examination he had to take before officially becoming a first team player.

After several weeks, Alex Acker regained full fitness and suffered no after effects all season. But it has caused a major reverse in Barça’s planning for the season.

Michel Morandais as replacement

To compensate for the absence of Acker, the Barça technical secretary opted to bring in Michel Morandais on loan. The French international arrived for three months, with the option of staying on for the rest of the season if all went well.

Michel Morandais did well, and when the term was up, and knowing Acker was back to full fitness, he decided to terminate his contract with FC Barcelona in the month of december.

Heart trouble for Kasun

Barça’s basketball team was just getting back to normal duty when another medical problem hit. Mario Kasun did not finish the game with Kalise Gran Canaria in the ACB League due to problems with his heart rate. The centre took the appropriate medical tests at Hospital Santa Cruz y Santo Pau de Barcelona, and Kasun was subjected to cardiac catheterization in the hope that this would put an end to the bother.

Losing Mario Kasun two weeks before the Copa del Rey marked another major problem in Barcelona’s plans.

Gary Neal arrives

Mario Kasun did his best to get fit in time for the knockout cup, but time was running against Barça. To ensure they had a competitive side, Gary Neal was brought in to boost Barça’s scoring options. The guard had started the season playing in the Turkish championship with Pinar Karsiyaka, and his offensive plays had captivated the nation.