Mijatović Changes Roster: Gnjidić Steps In for Radovčić
Croatian national basketball team head coach Tomislav Mijatović announced a change ahead of the gathering in Opatija and the continuation of the 2027 World Cup qualifiers.
Croatian national basketball team head coach Tomislav Mijatović announced a change ahead of the gathering in Opatija and the continuation of the 2027 World Cup qualifiers.
Ahead of preparations for the continuation of the 2027 World Cup qualifiers, Croatian national basketball team head coach Tomislav Mijatović has decided to alter the squad. On the list of players heading to preparations, Lovro Gnjidić has replaced Krešimir Radovčić.
Mijatović explained that the decision was made in agreement with the player. "After speaking with Krešimir Radovčić and a joint assessment, it was agreed that he will not join the national team in this cycle. In his place, we have called up Lovro Gnjidić, who we believe will quickly integrate and respond well to the demands ahead, as he has shown in previous gatherings," Mijatović told Prigorski.
According to information from the Croatian Basketball Federation, Radovčić cannot join his teammates due to objective circumstances. Sportske novosti provide a more detailed explanation: Radovčić has just signed a contract with Vienna, a club from the Austrian capital, which faces Champions League qualifiers as early as September. The club requires the player to be present for training and preparations for those matches. This was also confirmed by a source close to the club, stating that the contract signing was the key reason Radovčić will not respond to the coach's call.
The national team will gather on August 13 in Opatija, where preparations for the continuation of the 2027 World Cup qualifiers will begin. During preparations, Croatia will participate in a test tournament in Hamburg, featuring also the finalists of the last EuroBasket, Germany and Turkey, as well as the Czech Republic. This will be an opportunity for the coaching staff to fine-tune the team and try out different tactical variations, with special emphasis on quickly connecting players coming from different clubs and systems.
Gnjidić will thus join a squad consisting of Roko Badžim, Luka Božić, Mateo Drežnjak, Mario Hezonja, Antonio Jordano, Krešimir Ljubičić, Karlo Matković, Dominik Mavra, Toni Nakić, Jaleen Smith, Dario Šarić, David Škara, and Ivica Zubac. Given that Gnjidić has already participated in national team gatherings, the staff believes he will not need much time to adapt.
After preparations and friendly matches, Croatia faces two important qualifying fixtures. First, on August 27 at 8 PM, they will host Latvia at the Krešimir Ćosić Hall in Zadar, and three days later, on August 30, they will visit the Netherlands in Almere, starting at 2:30 PM. These matches will be crucial for the continuation of the qualifying cycle, and the coach will be able to assess the team's current form through the preparatory games and make final decisions on rotation.
Radovčić communicated his situation with coach Mijatović and coaching staff member Kruno Simon, after which Gnjidić received the call at the last moment. Gnjidić will thus have a short period to prepare and prove himself before the important matches, and the coaching staff believes he will quickly fit in and help the team achieve its goals.
