Serbian Basketball Player Delighted with Return to Croatia
Marko Jagodić Kuridža, originally from Obrovac, recalled playing for Cibona and admitted that Zagreb completely won him over.
Marko Jagodić Kuridža, originally from Obrovac, recalled playing for Cibona and admitted that Zagreb completely won him over.
Former Serbian national basketball team player Marko Jagodić Kuridža, who recently ended his playing career, opened up about his return to Croatia. Originally from Obrovac, he left Croatia during the war-torn 1990s and returned as a Cibona player between 2012 and 2015. The reception he received in Zagreb completely surprised him.
Jagodić Kuridža, standing 205 centimeters tall, admitted that before joining Cibona, he had certain uncertainties about how he would be accepted. His thoughts are best illustrated by the comparison he made for Dnevno.hr.
"Imagine having to come to Serbia as a Croat to play among 15 unknown Serbs. Well, that's how I felt. I knew the players from TV, I followed Cibona just like Partizan and Red Star, but they didn't know me,"
Jagodić Kuridža said about his expectations. However, reality was completely different. Instead of prejudice, he experienced warmth and applause from the stands, which made him want to stay permanently in the Croatian capital.
His fighting spirit under the basket, which compensated for his relatively short stature for a center position, quickly made him a fan favorite. His enthusiasm for the city was so great that he jokingly, but with a hint of sincere desire, stated that he would gladly settle down in Zagreb.
"I say, I felt no prejudice at all. Everyone asked me if I would stay and live in Zagreb. I would, for sure, just buy me a place, brother, and I need nothing more,"
Jagodić Kuridža recounted. He also added that he was aware Zagreb was a beautiful city, but it still managed to impress him beyond expectations. "I knew the city was nice, but, brother, it blew me away," he said.
His three seasons at Cibona did not go unnoticed. The highlight was winning the regional ABA League in the 2013/14 season, when Cibona defeated Cedevita in the final of the Final Four tournament at Belgrade's Arena. Later, he lifted the same trophy with Red Star in the 2020/21 season.
After leaving Zagreb, where the club was hit by financial problems, Jagodić Kuridža built a rich international career. He played for Czech club Nymburk, Belgian Oostende, Slovenian Primorska, and then for Red Star, Budućnost from Podgorica, and Vojvodina from Novi Sad. His performances earned him a call-up to the Serbian national team, with which he played at EuroBasket 2022.
Although his playing career is now behind him, and he sees a new challenge in coaching, memories of Zagreb and Cibona, where he says he received a surprisingly warm welcome, remain a special chapter in his basketball story.
