The Avdia family continues to attract a lot of attention in the Serbian media during the Eurobasket, among other things due to yesterday’s “derby” between the national teams of Israel and Serbia, but not only. Danny Avdia’s father, the legendary former player Zoper, is of course in Prague and he was interviewed by the Serbian “Telegraph” and voiced harsh criticism against the Israeli national team.
“It’s not easy for Danny, he’s only 21 years old and the whole team is built on him and depends on him,” said Zoper, “on the field it doesn’t seem like he has support from the coach or his teammates. I see it from the side. But again I say – for him it’s easier, because that when he misses he takes another shot, and for me, when it doesn’t go my way I get angry in the stands and have to smoke to relax”
Avdia Senior continued in the same direction: “In Israel you can be lifted up to heaven one moment, and the next day put you down. They don’t understand that Danny is only a 21-year-old boy and that they put the entire team on his shoulders despite his young age, even though he does not receive support from the players The veterans. You know it, they come to him with the attitude of ‘You haven’t torn a pair of shoes yet and I’m already 100 years old’…”
Avdia, who has already said many times in the past that he preferred Danny to play for the Serbian national team where he could achieve more, said: “I told Danny at the beginning that with Serbia he would have a chance to win medals, to play in the Olympics, which is the sporting event that everyone dreams of. But he made the decision himself, at the age of 17 . He is the biggest star in Israel in the world of sports, just like Jokic. Off the court he has a Serbian character, he has a short fuse. Believe me, he knows how to curse. When he gets angry off the court you can see that he is completely Balkan.”
Avdia also spoke about his impression of the Serbian national team: “From my point of view, Serbia is the favorite to win Eurobasket,” said Avdia Senior, “As things stand so far, in Israel they will be able to say that they played against the European champions. Yesterday’s game? It depended on Serbia and moved in the direction it is Directed him.”
Avdia continued: “This house is easy for Serbia. Today everyone knows how to play basketball and there are no easy opponents in the European Championship – you see the results in the other houses. But Pešić created something special, with calmness in the dressing room. Serbia plays lightly and I assume that even in the round of 16 they will meet a weak opponent Much more than her. I don’t foresee any problems for her until the semi-finals.”