The EWE Baskets Oldenburg have relieved coach Mladen Drijencic of his duties. The new boss at the bottom of the Basketball Bundesliga (BBL) is the previous assistant coach Alen Abaz.
“Our situation has become even more acute in recent weeks,” announced managing partner Hermann Schüller. “We are in a relegation battle and have to face this situation together in order to improve our position in the table as quickly as possible. “
With the change in the coaching position, the club is reacting to the difficult sporting situation: the Baskets have only two wins from 13 games in the league and are currently in 18th place. The season’s goal has become a distant prospect: the relegation of the club, which is otherwise accustomed to success, is closer than a place in the knockout rounds.
The new head coach Abaz was born in Sarajevo and came to Oldenburg in 2019. In the ten years before, the 48-year-old had worked as a head coach in Lebanon and Bahrain. “This is probably the most difficult situation in which to take over a team. However, I feel the confidence of the club’s leadership and I am optimistic about this task,” Abaz was quoted as saying in a statement issued by the club.
According to the release, Schüller also stressed that Drijencic had not been sacked. “In due course,” he said, the club would hold talks on what the role of the former successful coach might look like after the current season.
