Kosner Baskonia dismissed Paolo Galbiati this Wednesday following a start to the EuroLeague campaign, swiftly naming Velimir Perasovic as his successor on a contract running through 2028. The club activated a familiar autumn contingency plan, bringing back the Croatian coach for his fourth tenure at the Buesa Arena.
Perasovic is scheduled to arrive in Vitoria-Gasteiz and will immediately take charge of the team for Friday’s EuroLeague fixture against Virtus Bologna. The coach managed UNICS Kazan last season.
Strained relations and EuroLeague struggles force a change
While Baskonia sits atop the Liga Endesa standings with a 3-0 record, their European form told a different story. Tuesday night’s defeat to Dubai BC marked the team’s fourth loss in the competition, in which they have one victory. Following that setback, Galbiati lamented the “lack of investment and experience” of the roster.
PERASOVIC SUSTITUIRÁ A GALBIATI AL FRENTE DEL KOSNER BASKONIAVelimir Perasovic sustituirá a Paolo Galbiati al frente del Kosner Baskonia y cumplirá su cuarta etapa en el club vitoriano con un contrato hasta el mes de junio de 2028. El croata, segundo entrenador con más partidos… pic.twitter.com/DS0ym4qjAK
That post-match commentary compounded months of simmering tension between the coach and the front office. The relationship had been strained since the summer, when Galbiati manifested in several occasions that his roster remained incomplete—remarks the club interpreted as a possible lack of ambition. The friction occurred alongside the departures of Markus Howard.
A summer of near-misses and public friction
The parting of ways follows a complex off-season that saw Baskonia block Galbiati from joining Barcelona, holding firm to his contract while Xevi Pujol ultimately made the move to the Catalan club to become director deportivo. Despite securing a Copa del Rey title in February—ending a 17-year drought for the club—Galbiati’s handling of the roster and public remarks ultimately wore down the administration’s patience.
Criticism mounted over the management of key players and persistent tactical issues, pointing to public messaging that conflicted with the identity of the club. General manager Josean Querejeta had opted to wait before offering a renewal, but mounting continental defeats and an escalating disconnect over squad construction sealed his departure after 87 total games in charge.
Fourth tenure begins ahead of Friday night in Bologna
Perasovic inherits a roster undergoing transition. During his previous stints in Vitoria, the coach captured a Copa del Rey and a Supercopa, and steered the club to the EuroLeague Final Four in 2016. Having previously logged 253 matches on the Baskonia bench, he stands as the second coach with the most matches directed in the club’s history.
The newly appointed coach will arrive in Vitoria-Gasteiz tomorrow and will direct his first match on Friday against Virtus Bologna.
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