By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Dubai has appointed Slovenian national team coach Aleksander Sekulic to lead the squad through the remainder of the 2025–26 editions of the EuroLeague and the AdmiralBet ABA League.
The deal was announced on Monday.
Per the press release: “Dubai Basketball has appointed Aleksander Sekulić as the new head coach of the first team until the end of the season.
The Slovenian coach, 48, will make his debut on the bench against Valencia Basket in the final round of the EuroLeague regular season.
Slovenia national team head coach
Since 2020, Sekulić has been the head coach of the Slovenian national team, leading them to a fourth-place finish at the Tokyo 2021 Olympic Games.
In this new chapter, he will reunite with team captain Klemen Prepelić. Previously, as an assistant coach, he was part of the staff that won the gold medal at EuroBasket 2017.”
Before finalizing the deal with Sekulic, Dubai held talks with 42-year-old Francesco Tabellini. However, the Italian coach, who recently departed Paris, declined the opportunity as he did not want to take over a new team before the end of the current season.
The 48-year-old tactician takes the helm immediately following his recent stint with Zenit in the VTB United League. He will continue his duties as head coach of the senior national team of Slovenia, where he is expected to resume his successful partnership with NBA superstar Luka Doncic during the upcoming FIBA World Cup 2027 Qualifiers this offseason.
His arrival at the United Arab Emirates-based outfit meets a 19-18 record and only one game left in the EuroLeague Regular Season. Dubai is locked in a battle for the final Play-In Showdown spot. To advance, they must defeat Valencia at Zenica’s Arena Husejin Smajlovic Zenica this Friday and hope for an FC Barcelona loss to FC Bayern Munich at Palau Blaugrana.
In the AdmiralBet ABA League, the team holds a 19-3 record, currently sitting in second place, just 0.5 games behind leaders Partizan Mozzart Bet. With two fixtures remaining before the regional playoffs, Sekulic will look to secure the top seed while navigating a tense continental finale. However, Jan Sentjurc will serve as interim head coach for Monday’s game against Buducnost VOLI in Sarajevo’s Zetra Olympic Hall.