Božidar Maljkovic
Encyclopedia
Božidar "Boža" Maljković (born 20 April 1952) is a Serbian basketball
coach, one of the most successful in Europe, having won a title with practically all clubs he trained, including four Euroleague
titles with three different clubs (Jugoplastika Split
, Panathinaikos and Limoges). Currently, he's the coach of the Slovenia national basketball team
.
(at the time PR Croatia, FPR Yugoslavia).
Having ended his playing career prematurely, at only 19 years of age, he started coaching immediately in a small basketball club Ušće in Belgrade
, where he worked from 1971 to 1979. Maljković then moved to KK Radnički Belgrade initially as an assistant to Bratislav Đorđević, but took over as head coach the next season. His next stop was Red Star Belgrade
as an assistant to Ranko Žeravica
from 1981 to 1986.
Maljković's big coaching break came at Jugoplastika Split
where he arrived in 1986, taking over a talented youthful team. After having won two European Champions' Cup
titles, three Yugoslavian Championships and three Yugoslavian National Cups, he took over FC Barcelona in 1991, where he won the Copa del Rey
in the same season. Finally, in 1992, he moved to Limoges, where he won another Euroleague
title. He then moved to Panathinaikos, Unicaja and Real Madrid
.
After leaving Real Madrid, a lot of speculation appeared about his next coaching job. In an interview with Sportski žurnal
, he said that he had been offered the role of head coach of Lithuanian League
club Žalgiris
, but that he would only take the job in the summer after the season had finished. He also said that he received several other offers, but refused to disclose which clubs they were from. Finally, on March 9, 2007 he was unveiled as the new head coach of TAU Cerámica
, replacing Velimir Perasović
, who abruptly stepped down in mid-season due to health reasons. Coincidentally, Maljković coached Perasović for four years at Jugoplastika Split
.
However, after a heavy 14 point loss in the 2007 Euroleague Final Four to Panathinakos, Maljković was criticized in the Spanish press and a lot of speculation appeared about his future. During the off season, he and the club parted ways.
On 12 December 2010 he took over the Slovenian national team. In summer 2011 he also took over the Russian club PBC Lokomotiv-Kuban, but got fired in November 2011 as the club's position in the Russian League
was way off expectations.
: 1981–1986 (assistant) KK Split (Jugoplastika)
: 1986–1990 FC Barcelona: 1990–1992 Limoges: 1992–1995 Panathinaikos: 1995–1997 Racing Paris SG
: 1997–1998 Baloncesto Málaga (Unicaja): 1998–2003 Real Madrid
: 2004–2006 Saski Baskonia (TAU Cerámica)
: 2007 Slovenia national basketball team
: 2010– BC Lokomotiv Kuban (Krasnodar): 2011
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
coach, one of the most successful in Europe, having won a title with practically all clubs he trained, including four Euroleague
Euroleague
Euroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...
titles with three different clubs (Jugoplastika Split
KK Split
KK Split , KK Split CO for sponsorship relations is a basketball club from Split, Croatia. Currently, KK Split competes in the A-1 Liga and Krešimir Ćosić Cup.-History:...
, Panathinaikos and Limoges). Currently, he's the coach of the Slovenia national basketball team
Slovenia national basketball team
The Slovenian National Basketball Team is a team that is selected by the Basketball Federation of Slovenia to compete in major international basketball events in representation of Slovenia....
.
Biography
Maljković was born in OtočacOtocac
Otočac is a town in Lika, Croatia. It lies in the northwestern part of Lika, in the Gacka river valley. The population of the town is 4,354 as of 2001, with a total of 10,411 people within the municipality at large, the majority of whom are Croats ....
(at the time PR Croatia, FPR Yugoslavia).
Having ended his playing career prematurely, at only 19 years of age, he started coaching immediately in a small basketball club Ušće in Belgrade
Belgrade
Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers, where the Pannonian Plain meets the Balkans. According to official results of Census 2011, the city has a population of 1,639,121. It is one of the 15 largest cities in Europe...
, where he worked from 1971 to 1979. Maljković then moved to KK Radnički Belgrade initially as an assistant to Bratislav Đorđević, but took over as head coach the next season. His next stop was Red Star Belgrade
KK Crvena zvezda
Košarkaški klub Crvena zvezda is a professional basketball club based in Belgrade, Serbia. Its name Crvena zvezda means Red Star and it's part of the Red Star Belgrade sports society ....
as an assistant to Ranko Žeravica
Ranko Žeravica
Ranko Žeravica is a retired Serbian basketball coach.- Club level :On the club level, he has coached:...
from 1981 to 1986.
Maljković's big coaching break came at Jugoplastika Split
KK Split
KK Split , KK Split CO for sponsorship relations is a basketball club from Split, Croatia. Currently, KK Split competes in the A-1 Liga and Krešimir Ćosić Cup.-History:...
where he arrived in 1986, taking over a talented youthful team. After having won two European Champions' Cup
Euroleague
Euroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...
titles, three Yugoslavian Championships and three Yugoslavian National Cups, he took over FC Barcelona in 1991, where he won the Copa del Rey
Copa del Rey de Baloncesto
The Copa del Rey de Baloncesto is an annual cup competition for Spanish basketball teams organized by Spain's top professional league, Asociación de Clubes de Baloncesto. It was originally known as the Copa de España de Baloncesto and was first played in 1933. It was the first nationwide...
in the same season. Finally, in 1992, he moved to Limoges, where he won another Euroleague
Euroleague
Euroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...
title. He then moved to Panathinaikos, Unicaja and Real Madrid
Real Madrid Baloncesto
Real Madrid Baloncesto is a Spanish professional basketball team founded in 1932 as a division of the Real Madrid club. They play in the Asociación de Clubes de Baloncesto ....
.
After leaving Real Madrid, a lot of speculation appeared about his next coaching job. In an interview with Sportski žurnal
Sportski žurnal
Sportski žurnal is a Belgrade-based sports daily. Each day, about half of its pages are devoted to football, whereas the rest deal with, in order of importance, basketball, volleyball, waterpolo, handball, tennis, auto racing, skiing, boxing, cycling etc...
, he said that he had been offered the role of head coach of Lithuanian League
Lietuvos Krepšinio Lyga
The Lietuvos krepšinio lyga is Lithuania's premier professional men's basketball league, composed of 12 teams.- History :...
club Žalgiris
BC Žalgiris
BC Žalgiris is a professional basketball team that is based in Kaunas, Lithuania. It is one of the oldest teams in the Euroleague and plays domestically in the Lietuvos krepšinio lyga , and regionally in the VTB United League...
, but that he would only take the job in the summer after the season had finished. He also said that he received several other offers, but refused to disclose which clubs they were from. Finally, on March 9, 2007 he was unveiled as the new head coach of TAU Cerámica
Saski Baskonia
Saski Baskonia, S.A.D., known as Caja Laboral for sponsorship reasons, is a Spanish professional basketball club from the Basque city of Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain...
, replacing Velimir Perasović
Velimir Perasovic
Velimir Perasović is a basketball coach and former player from Croatia.Perasović was born in Split, in the former Yugoslavia, and grew up in the nearby Stobreč...
, who abruptly stepped down in mid-season due to health reasons. Coincidentally, Maljković coached Perasović for four years at Jugoplastika Split
KK Split
KK Split , KK Split CO for sponsorship relations is a basketball club from Split, Croatia. Currently, KK Split competes in the A-1 Liga and Krešimir Ćosić Cup.-History:...
.
However, after a heavy 14 point loss in the 2007 Euroleague Final Four to Panathinakos, Maljković was criticized in the Spanish press and a lot of speculation appeared about his future. During the off season, he and the club parted ways.
On 12 December 2010 he took over the Slovenian national team. In summer 2011 he also took over the Russian club PBC Lokomotiv-Kuban, but got fired in November 2011 as the club's position in the Russian League
Russian Professional Basketball League 2011–12
Russian Basketball Championship 2011/2012 is the second season, held under the auspices of the Professional Basketball League, and the 21st Russian Championship.- Schedule :...
was way off expectations.
Clubs
Ušće Belgrade: 1971–1979 OKK Radnički: 1979–1981 Red Star BelgradeKK Crvena zvezda
Košarkaški klub Crvena zvezda is a professional basketball club based in Belgrade, Serbia. Its name Crvena zvezda means Red Star and it's part of the Red Star Belgrade sports society ....
: 1981–1986 (assistant) KK Split (Jugoplastika)
KK Split
KK Split , KK Split CO for sponsorship relations is a basketball club from Split, Croatia. Currently, KK Split competes in the A-1 Liga and Krešimir Ćosić Cup.-History:...
: 1986–1990 FC Barcelona: 1990–1992 Limoges: 1992–1995 Panathinaikos: 1995–1997 Racing Paris SG
Paris Basket Racing
Paris Basket Racing, or PBR, is a now-defunct French professional basketball club from Paris. It was founded in the year 1922 as the basketball section of the sports club Racing Club de Paris. The team took the name "Paris Basket Racing" in 2000....
: 1997–1998 Baloncesto Málaga (Unicaja): 1998–2003 Real Madrid
Real Madrid Baloncesto
Real Madrid Baloncesto is a Spanish professional basketball team founded in 1932 as a division of the Real Madrid club. They play in the Asociación de Clubes de Baloncesto ....
: 2004–2006 Saski Baskonia (TAU Cerámica)
Saski Baskonia
Saski Baskonia, S.A.D., known as Caja Laboral for sponsorship reasons, is a Spanish professional basketball club from the Basque city of Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain...
: 2007 Slovenia national basketball team
Slovenia national basketball team
The Slovenian National Basketball Team is a team that is selected by the Basketball Federation of Slovenia to compete in major international basketball events in representation of Slovenia....
: 2010– BC Lokomotiv Kuban (Krasnodar): 2011
International
- 4 Euroleague ChampionshipsEuroleagueEuroleague Basketball, commonly known as the Euroleague, is the highest level tier and most important professional club basketball competition in Europe, with teams from up to 18 different countries, members of FIBA Europe. For sponsorship reasons, for five seasons starting with 2010–2011, it is...
:
-
-
- 2 with Jugoplastika SplitKK SplitKK Split , KK Split CO for sponsorship relations is a basketball club from Split, Croatia. Currently, KK Split competes in the A-1 Liga and Krešimir Ćosić Cup.-History:...
: 1988/89 and 1989/90 - 1 with Limoges: 1992/93.
- 1 with Panathinaikos Athens: 1995/96.
- 1 runner-up with FC Barcelona: 1990/91.
- 1 Cup Radivoje KoraćKorac CupThe Korać Cup was an annual basketball club competition held by FIBA between the 1971-72 and 2001-02 seasons. It was the third-tier level club competition in European basketball, after the European Champions' Cup and the Cup Winners' Cup...
; 2000/01, with Unicaja Málaga.
- 1 Cup Radivoje Korać
- 1 runner-up: 1999/00, with Unicaja Málaga.
- 1 Intercontinental CupIntercontinental Cup (basketball)The World Cup for Champion Clubs, commonly referred to as the Intercontinental Cup, was a basketball competition endorsed by FIBA to gather the best clubs from the federations affiliated to FIBA and to officially decide the best club of the world, contended mainly by the continents of higher...
: 1996/97, with Panathinaikos
- 1 Intercontinental Cup
- 2 with Jugoplastika Split
-
National
- In YugoslaviaYugoslaviaYugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
:
-
-
- 3 Leagues: 1987/88, 1988/89 and 1989/90, with Jugoplastika Split.
- 3 National Cups : 1987/88, 1988/89 and 1989/90, with Jugoplastika Split.
-
- In Spain:
-
-
- 1 Liga ACB: 2004/05, with Real MadridReal Madrid BaloncestoReal Madrid Baloncesto is a Spanish professional basketball team founded in 1932 as a division of the Real Madrid club. They play in the Asociación de Clubes de Baloncesto ....
. - 1 runner-up: 2001/02, with Unicaja Málaga.
- 1 Copa del ReyCopa del ReyThe Copa del Rey is an annual football cup competition for Spanish football teams. Its full name is Campeonato de España – Copa de Su Majestad el Rey de Fútbol ....
: 1990/91, with FC Barcelona.
- 1 Liga ACB: 2004/05, with Real Madrid
-
- In France:
-
-
- 2 French ChampionshipsLigue Nationale de BasketballThe Ligue National de Basket is the top men's French professional basketball league. There are two divisions: French Pro A League and French Pro B League .-Pro A:...
: 1992/93 and 1993/94, with Limoges. - 2 Cups of France: 1993/94 and 1994/95, with Limoges.
- 2 French Championships
-
- In Greece:
-
-
- 1 Greek CupGreek basketball CupThe Greek Basketball Cup or Hellenic Basketball Cup is an annual pro basketball national cup competition. It is organized by the Hellenic Basketball Federation .-History and format:...
: 1995/96, with Panathinaikos.
- 1 Greek Cup
-
Awards
- Coach of the Year in Europe (1988/89, 1989/90)
- European Coach of the Year awarded by FIBA Basket Magazine (1993, 1996)
- Coach of the Year in Yugoslavia (1987/88, 1988/89, 1989/90)
- Coach of the Year in France (1992/93, 1993/94)