Croatian basketball player Henrik Sirko has spoken openly about his several years of experience in Kosovo basketball, directly comparing it to the Croatian championship.
Sirko returned to Croatia this season after five seasons in Kosovo, but he says he found an environment and passion there that was missing in the domestic league. He played for clubs such as Peja, Prishtina, Ylli and Bora.
According to him, investment in basketball and fan interest in Kosovo are at a significantly higher level. He spoke about all of this in Sportscast which is produced by the Sportske Novosti media outlet.
“I’m happy that Cibona played against Başkimi this season, which is not a strong team in Kosovo, so we saw how Cibona performed on the road, in front of a full house. In Kosovo, the houses are full, there is great tension, a lot is invested in basketball, a result is expected, and that’s what attracted me,” declared Sirko.
The Croatian emphasizes that the quality of foreigners and coaches is also higher in Kosovo than in Croatia, making the league more competitive.
“The league there has eight clubs, and year after year the league is equal, anyone can beat anyone. They have a rule of five foreigners, three of whom can be on the field. They bring in coaches from the Turkish league, former BiH national team coach Adis Beciragic has been there for six seasons, many of our coaches have been in Kosovo or have been there,” he says.
He adds that the main difference between the two leagues is the atmosphere and sports culture.
“The biggest difference between the Kosovo league and our league is that the clubs there have a lot of spectators, there is such a desire to buy a ticket. We don’t have that expectation for the matches, while they do.”
“For example, you win a trophy and then 1,500 people follow you to a guest stadium with a capacity of 3,000 people, and then there are 8,000 people around you at the party. That’s what attracted me, it wasn’t even the contract,” he added.
In the end, he gives a direct and critical assessment of the reality of Croatian basketball.
“It’s sad that it’s better to go play in Kosovo or Romania than to stay in Croatia, but players have to find their own way,” Sirko concluded. /telegraph/
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