Why did Nikola Kalinić end his career at just 34?

Kalinić decided to end his playing career because the new Red Star coach no longer counted on him as a player, and he wants to stay close to Belgrade due to his life situation.

What role will Kalinić have at Red Star?

Kalinić becomes an assistant coach at Red Star, immediately after ending his playing career.

Was Kalinić ever close to moving to Partizan?

Yes, in 2021 he turned down an offer from Partizan. Željko Obradović called him, but Kalinić told him he didn't think about it and that there was no point in discussing it.

What did Kalinić win with Fenerbahçe?

Kalinić won the European championship title with Fenerbahçe in 2017, having worked with coach Željko Obradović for many years.

Football

Nikola Kalinić Ends Career at Just 34 and Immediately Becomes Red Star Assistant Coach

N.G. · Prije 2 dana | 2 min

The Serbian basketball player shocked the public with an Instagram post. He turned down Partizan in 2021, and now he stays in Belgrade in a completely new role.

Summary

Nikola Kalinić ended his playing career at 34 and becomes an assistant coach at Red Star.
He announced the decision on Instagram, saying he wants to be close to Belgrade due to his life situation.
Kalinić turned down an offer from Partizan and Željko Obradović in 2021, and in 2017 he won the European championship title with Fenerbahçe.

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Serbian basketball player Nikola Kalinić has announced the end of his playing career at just 34 years old and immediately announced a new role at Red Star. The news came without any prior notice, via his social media accounts, and as reported by Kurir.rs, Kalinić shocked the public with his decision to leave the court.

In his Instagram post, Kalinić left a short but clear message:

"Guys, I'm ending my career. I'm becoming an assistant coach at Zvezda. Due to my life situation, I want to be close to Belgrade. Thanks to everyone for being part of this wild ride."

Stays at Red Star, but in a New Role

Kalinić is not leaving the Belgrade club's camp. According to Tportal, the decision came after a period of uncertainty about his future because the new Red Star coach no longer counted on him as a player. Now it's clear that he will continue his career as an assistant coach.

Throughout his career, Kalinić played at the highest European level, spending much of the last few years in the EuroLeague. Tportal notes that the decision to retire is quite a surprise, especially since it was made at age 34, but Kalinić won't leave basketball; instead, he immediately starts a new phase alongside the court.

He Turned Down Partizan and Obradović

An interesting detail from Kalinić's past was revealed on the KolePoint podcast. Kalinić then spoke about Partizan's offer from 2021, when he was called by legendary coach Željko Obradović.

"Yes, Željko Obradović called me about Partizan, asked what I thought about it. I told him I didn't think about it and that there was no point in discussing it,"

Kalinić said on the podcast.

Kalinić worked with Obradović for many years at Turkish club Fenerbahçe, and in 2017 he won the European championship title. Now a new role awaits him at Red Star, a club where he will stay close to Belgrade, as he himself stated.