The separation from world champion coach Gordon Herbert came suddenly, the successor solution is difficult. With Svetislav Pesic, Bayern’s basketball players are hoping for a miraculous turnaround in the Euroleague – the return brings back memories of a successful Munich football coach.
More than nine years after his departure as Munich coach, Svetislav Pesic returned to FC Bayern with a smile. “Good evening – I’m back,” said the former champion coach, who is surprisingly succeeding Germany’s world champion coach Gordon Herbert at the Munich basketball team. “I only have one goal here, that we improve as quickly as possible,” said the 76-year-old.
Pesic, who ended his role as national coach after Serbia’s surprising exit from the European Championships in September, took over Bayern for the first time in autumn 2012 and coached them until 2016. At that time, he celebrated one of his five championship titles in Germany in 2014, the others he won with Alba Berlin. “Svetislav will now help us for the next six months,” said President Herbert Hainer. And then? Today it is “far too early to speculate about the summer,” said the club’s head.
Hainer praised the “old fox” and immediately hoped that he would not only play successfully, but also inspire the spectators. Pesic looked at his president. Despite all the spectacular scenes, the most important thing is victories, said the experienced trainer. “Nobody forgets when you lose.”
“I believe in discipline and responsibility,” says Pesic
Pesic’s signing brings back memories of Bayern’s football department. They also once relied on an old acquaintance, Jupp Heynckes – and above all, his experience. On October 9, 2017, Heynckes, who was 72 years old at the time, took over the FC Bayern Munich team for the fourth time, which was in second place in the table after seven match days, five points behind Borussia Dortmund. He replaced Willy Sagnol, who had temporarily coached the team for one game after Carlo Ancelotti was released.
Like Heynckes, who led Bayern to four championship titles, a DFB Cup victory and a Champions League victory in four terms, Pesic has also celebrated many successes.
In 2002 he celebrated the world championship title with what was then Yugoslavia, and in 2001 he became European champion. Under him, Serbia won the bronze medal at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. They won the small final against Germany, which Pesic had once led to the European Championship title in 1993. The experienced coach also won many European and national titles with his club teams.
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“Svetislav knows Munich, he knows Bavaria and both leagues; some of us know him very well – so the adjustment period for him should be short,” said sports director Dragan Tarlac. “That gives us a good feeling about this decision – in addition to his enormous experience.” Tarlac reported rejections from two candidates who did not want to join at this point in the season and at such short notice.
The start-up time for Pesic should actually be short due to his great experience and past in Munich. The 76-year-old didn’t need much time to think about his commitment. “My job is to get to know the players as quickly as possible,” said Pesic, formulating a well-known credo. “I believe in discipline and responsibility.” Curiously, his son Marko will quit as managing director at FC Bayern at the end of the year. “Two would be too many,” said the father dryly.
Too many Euroleague disappointments
At the Euroleague home game on Tuesday evening (7.30 p.m./Magentasport) against leaders Hapoel Tel Aviv, the new, old coach will be responsible for the first time. “He knows the Euroleague inside and out,” said Hainer. After eight Euroleague defeats in a row, the Bundesliga leaders are now set to make a successful recovery in Europe.
“Those are simply not the demands we have,” said Hainer about the international failures. With just five wins from 17 games, the team is only in second-to-last place in the table and already has almost no chance of making the playoffs.
The Munich team only parted ways with Herbert on Saturday. The Canadian sensationally led the German national team to the world championship title in the summer of 2023. After the 2024 Olympics in Paris, where he narrowly missed out on a medal, he said goodbye as national coach and moved to FC Bayern. The now 66-year-old won the championship with the traditional club in 2025. In the Euroleague, the injury-plagued Bayern were hugely disappointing this season.
LaGa with dpa
