By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet decided not participate in the draw for Serbian Cup (Radivoj Korac Cup) and is threatening not to play in the final tournament.
All because last season, Partizan Mozzart Bet decided to step out of the Serbian league playoffs.
In an official statement, Crvena Zvezda turns to the Basketball Federation of Serbia with an appeal for their arch-rivals to be sanctioned for last season’s actions.
“Crvena Zvezda informs the public that it will not have representatives at the draw for the finals of the Radivoj Korac Cup, which will be held on Tuesday in Belgrade.
Also, by the start of the final tournament, which will be held in Niš’s Čair Hall from February 15 to 18, 2023, the club will make a definitive decision on whether it will even participate in this tournament and defend the title won last year.
With this gesture, Crvena Zvezda clearly and unambiguously (without the intention of diminishing the success of the remaining six clubs that deserved to participate in that tournament) warns and calls the Basketball Federation of Serbia for the last time to adhere to the Statute, return Serbian basketball to the legal framework, and finally sanction Partizan with an adequate and prescribed punishment for the most serious possible offense, which is leaving the end of the Serbian championship in June 2022, without any explanation and valid explanation,” Zvezda wrote in an official statement.
After the draw, Zvezda got Borac Mozzart in the quarterfinals, Partizan Mozzart Bet got Spartak Subotica, and their paths are already crossing in the semifinals. The other quarterfinal pairs are Mega – Vojvodina and FMP – Metalac.
Crvena Zvezda won the Cup last season for the second time in a row and equaled Partizan with their eighth Radivoj Korac Cup trophy in the club’s history.
It’s also worth mentioning that the Belgrade rivals will meet this Friday (19.00 CET) in Round 21 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, with Crvena Zvezda as the host. The red and whites won the first EuroLeague derby in history in December and defeated their city rivals in the first ABA League game of the season.