Coaching change at Baskonia

Baskonia has dismissed Paolo Galbiati and announced the return of Velimir Perasovic to the coaching staff. This will be the fourth time the Croatian will be on the Baskonia coaching staff, a record of its kind, with a contract running until 2028.

Recent success and current challenges

The departure of Paolo Galbiati occurs only eight months after the team won the King's Cup and while Baskonia is still working to finalize its roster. During his tenure, the Italian coached 87 official matches, including 43 in the Euroleague, 40 in Liga Endesa, and four in the Supercup and King's Cup.

Mixed performance in different leagues

It certainly costs the club the poor start in the Euroleague (1 win and 4 losses), although in Liga Endesa, the situation is different. The Vitoria team currently occupies first place with an unblemished record. This coaching change therefore occurs at a time when the main challenges are on the European stage.

Departures and uncertain futures

Beginning in July, Baskonia had decided to forgo the option of terminating Galbiati's contract for about 25,000 euros. However, Velimir Perasovic was already mentioned as an alternative, given the interest of FC Barcelona in the Italian. This dismissal coincides with the departure of Markus Howard, who is leaving to enrich the roster of Zenit Saint-Petersburg in the VTB League. The 27-year-old American guard is leaving the club as the all-time leading three-point shooter with 372 three-pointers. The situation of Clément Frisch remains uncertain.

Velimir Perasovic's experience with Baskonia

Baskonia has chosen a coach who knows Vitoria well. Velimir Perasovic, 61 years old, has coached the team 253 times, making him the second coach in the club's history to have coached the most matches. Especially the Croatian, who played for Vitoria from 1993 to 1997, achieved this total three times: 2005-2007, 2015-2017, and 2018-19.

Previous successes under Perasovic

His last base was UNICS Kazan in the VTB League (2021-26). During his previous stints at Baskonia, Velimir Perasovic won a King's Cup and a Supercup and led the Basque team to its last Euroleague Final Four in 2016.