Crvena Zvezda has officially decided to part ways with Ioannis Sfairopoulos after opening the 2025/26 season with three straight losses. In response, the club has turned to a familiar face – Saša Obradović – who will step in as the new head coach.
The Belgrade side confirmed the news, marking Obradović’s return to the Zvezda bench after a short coaching stint in 2020. For the club’s supporters, this is more than just a coaching change; it’s the return of someone deeply tied to the team’s identity.
Obradović spent key years of his playing career in the red-and-white jersey, representing Crvena Zvezda from 1987 to 1993, making a brief comeback in 1994, and once again from 1999 to 2000.
His first time as head coach came during the unusual and challenging 2020/21 season, right in the middle of the COVID-19 era.
Since then, Obradović has built a strong reputation abroad, most notably with AS Monaco, where he hit several major milestones before parting ways with the club at the start of the 2024/25 campaign.
According to Crvena Zvezda’s announcement, Obradović will lead his first training session with the team on Sunday.
His official return to the sidelines will take place on Tuesday in the EuroLeague clash against Žalgiris Kaunas at the Belgrade Arena.
In the meantime, assistant coach Tomislav Tomović guided the team to an impressive win over Fenerbahçe in Istanbul, marking their first EuroLeague victory of the season and improving their record to 1–2.
However, in the ABA League, Zvezda sits at 0–1 after a home loss to Zadar.
Saša Obradović officially returns to the Crvena Zvezda #EuroLeague https://t.co/FVh0vKSAgt
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) October 11, 2025
