Aleksander Šekulić: “We want intensity to be the signature of this Barça”

Por Alex Molina / info@eurohoops.net

Aleksander Šekulić faces his first season at the helm of Barça with the challenge of building a team virtually from scratch.

With eleven new signings and only four players returning from the previous campaign, the situation is demanding, though the Slovenian coach has already found reasons for optimism after winning the Catalan League.

In this interview with Eurohoops, Šekulić discusses the process of building the new Barça, explains the importance of key figures like Kevin Punter, reflects on his experience working with Luka Dončić on the Slovenian national team, and outlines his goals for a season in which the blaugrana squad aims to contend once again for major titles.

Beyond winning the first trophy of the season and getting three victories in such a short period of time, what are the main positive takeaways you take from the Lliga Catalana?

There are many positive things. We used these games as preseason games, and we were growing from game to game, playing better, understanding our ideas better and implementing them in the games. We also had a great team spirit. Even though the team is almost built from scratch, with only four players from last year, there are a lot of challenges, but so far we are overcoming them at a very high speed.

You are arriving at Barça with a squad that has undergone major changes, with eleven new signings. How do you build a team identity almost from scratch, and how long do you think it will take?

It’s not easy, but if you want to be not just competitive, but a team that will compete for the highest spots in the leagues that we are competing in, the main job should be done during the preseason with the signings. Everyone at the club, especially Xevi, was helping us. We were quite late, but with his support, knowledge and experience… it was challenging, but he made it easier for everyone.

Xavi Pujol said he was very happy with the eleven signings and that, as a coach, you were the perfect fit for his vision of basketball. What kind of Barça are we going to see this season?

This team should be, and it’s also part of my philosophy, a team that plays with high intensity, offensively and defensively. We want to play fast-paced, quick and aggressive basketball, not just for the sake of it. It has to be a signature of this team.

Many Barça fans probably know you because of that unforgettable EuroBasket gold medal with Slovenia in 2017, but you also have extensive experience coaching at club level. What is different about dealing with the pressure of coaching a club like Barça compared to coaching a national team?

When it comes to games, there is no big difference. You have to figure out the game plan and execute it. The main difference is in preparing the team, because when you play in the EuroBasket or the World Championship, you don’t have time for adjustments: what you build in the camps is what you are going to use in the competition. When you talk about a league, it’s all about building a team, following the ideas and finding a way through all the struggles. Seasons are long. For ten months, you are going to see the same faces every day, so you have to cope with this and figure out how to coexist with all the egos and be successful at the same time on the court.

There has been some speculation in recent days about the possibility of you stepping down from your role with the Slovenian national team to focus fully on Barça. Can you give us any more information about your situation with Slovenia and what your plans are?

It’s just speculation. There has been no official statement from anybody, which means there are no changes.

The 2017 EuroBasket was one of the tournaments where Luka Dončić really announced himself on the international stage. Given that you were there with him, did you already have the feeling that he could become the superstar he is today?

If I want to be a smart-ass, I would say yes, but no. We saw that he was special. He was only 18 years old back then, and he looked on the court like a very experienced guy. We knew he would be a great basketball player, but to reach these heights… I didn’t expect it. Not that I didn’t want him to be, but I didn’t expect it. He became one of the most influential players in the world, a superstar not just in the NBA, but in the whole world. Everybody knows Luka. You don’t even have to say his last name.

Coming back to Barça, the team has won the Lliga Catalana once again, but it has also gone several seasons without winning a major trophy. How much can that hunger to win motivate the team, and how much could it become an additional source of pressure, especially for such a new group?

I cannot feel this, but for sure. There is ambition throughout Barça. They want titles. I believe that the basketball club was very successful before, winning EuroLeagues. We will see on the court, when the fans come. When we were building the team, we wanted to bring hungry players to represent this club and try to fight for the trophies.

In the Lliga Catalana final, we saw Kevin Punter play his first game for Barça, and he was already vital to the victory. You also chose him as one of the team’s captains, alongside Joel Parra and Darío Brizuela. Why did you choose him as a leader of this team?

First of all, when you talk about Kevin Punter, I have to speak in very high terms. All the accomplishments he had with his previous teams, winning titles, showing that his leadership is going to be super important… He was also a captain at previous clubs. I believe that he can be a great leader and a great influence on younger, less experienced guys. Not only with his presence, but also with his style of leading and playing. Being aware of the importance of each game and each practice.

The Endesa Super Cup is already this weekend, and the team is unfortunately dealing with some injuries. How do you see the team going into the tournament, and what would it mean to win a trophy that Barça haven’t lifted for eleven years?

We are improving, playing much better than in the first games. And I think that we will play much better in the Super Cup. There are great teams that also want to win the title. It’s not just going to be about the Super Cup; we want to set expectations for the upcoming season.

Finally, looking at the season as a whole, what are your main priorities and objectives with Barça? What would make you feel, at the end of the season, that this year has been a success?

Besides competing for the titles or winning some, which is going to be very difficult because of the competition, I want to look back at the season and compare the first and last day and see that we are a much better team. That the improvement of the team is significant. And that the Barça fans recognise the style and the culture that we want to build, and that we keep this culture here.