After the Elephants’ brilliant qualification for the 2023 World Cup, the Ivorian Basketball Federation (FIBB) has announced the confirmation of Slovenian Dejan Prokic as national coach. Brought to the head of the technical staff on a temporary basis for window 4 in Abidjan while Natxo Lezkano was unavailable, Prokic finally replaces the Spaniard. An appointment that does not approve of the players who expressed their dissatisfaction in a press release signed by 20 of them and addressed to President Mahama Coulibaly.
“Your decision to appoint Dejan Prokic as head coach for the World Cup does not comfort us in the current state of affairs. We believe that this constitutes: a breach of your word given to Monastir. Coach Prokic’s lack of competence does not we do not trust for the rest of the competitions and in particular the World Cup where we will be among the best teams. We want to maintain the harmony of this team by keeping all the sports staff without exception”, denounces the press release from the players. whose name of captain Stéphane Konaté appears at the top of the signatures.
Players who do not understand the decision to separate from coach Natxo recall that despite his difficult start in 2011, he has managed to build with his staff since 2020, a united and close-knit group
“We have learned the values that make our identity today, discipline on and off the pitch, rigor in the effort. He has known the players for some for 10 years, he has practiced them at all levels in the “tactical and psychological aspect. Working for this staff gives us moments of joy and pleasure different from what we experience in the club. That’s why we agree to do with certain difficulties, particularly financial ones”, they add.
The players who remain on a series of 19 consecutive matches without defeat want a compromise to be found so that the situation does not rot this beautiful environment. Read more at https://bit.ly/3Rzihmq
