After six difficult months, Miika Muurinen is already leaving Belgrade’s Partizan

Passage of Miikka Muurinen aw Partizan Belgrade so it only lasted half a season. The 18-year-old Finn confirmed that he has ended a complicated Serbian bracket with almost zero playing time, public criticism from his coach and a turbulent context at the club. Even if the person concerned assures that it was educational…

At the gathering of the selection of Finland for the World Cup qualifiers, Miika Muurinen explained having experienced “exactly” what he came looking for: immersion in professional basketball, at the behest of a great coach, in one of the toughest strongholds in Europe. But he also admits that he didn’t get the role he was hoping for, even though he rarely set foot on the EuroLeague pitch.

The turning point, according to him, was a departure Željko Obradovićcoach who convinced him to sign for Partizan. Miika Muurinen explains that the Serbian technician took him under his wing from day one and that he was the main reason for his selection. After the resignation, the Finn began to think about what to do next.

Direction of the United States

The relationship with Joan Penaroy, the team’s new coach, was much rougher. End of JanuaryThe Spanish coach highlighted the lack of tactical understanding as well as the lack of investment.

“He is not good enough to play in a team like ours right now”Joan Penarroia said. “There are also expectations, and I’ll be the first to say that he has all the weapons to become an exceptional player. But there’s a part of basketball that he still doesn’t understand. It’s not about mistakes, young players have to make mistakes. I accept that. In order to learn and improve, you have to make mistakes. His teammates accept that he’s young, but you accept that when you give 100%.”

Miika Muurinen also accepts some of these criticisms: he admits that he is a young player who is still developing, having come to Partizan Belgrade to learn in a ruthless environment.

Now the sequel remains, and it still leads to the United States. “Slim Jesus” explains that there was an agreement with Željko Obradović, who knew very well that he would spend only one year in Serbia. It was even less than that.