Zvezdan Mitrovic appointed Montenegro’s head coach until 2029

The Basketball Federation of Montenegro announced Monday evening the return of Zvezdan Mitrovic as national team head coach. The 55-year-old coach, born in Podgorica, returns to a position he held from 2017 to 2019, during which he led the country to its first World Cup participation.
The former Monaco and ASVEL coach has signed a contract running until 2029 but won’t be able to take up his duties until next summer due to his commitments with Cedevita Olimpija. Until his effective arrival, Andrej Zakelj, current coach of Buducnost Podgorica, will serve as interim coach for the Montenegrin team.
Our coaching market activity doesn’t stop! Zvezdan Mitrovic is the new head coach of the Montenegro national team!#BeoBasket
— Misko4Raznatovic (@MiskoRaznatovic) October 21, 2025
Andrej Zakelj takes lead for qualifiers
The Slovenian coach, voted best coach in the Adriatic League last season, will lead the national team during the first two qualifying windows for the 2027 World Cup. « Zakelj will be on Montenegro’s bench, in coordination with Mitrovic, for a total of four matches in the first qualification phase, in November this year and February next year, » the federation specified.

Zakelj is no stranger to Montenegrin basketball. Long established in the country, he led SC Derbi before taking the reins of Buducnost. « The Slovenian knows the Montenegrin basketball situation very well and has already proven himself as a coach through his results, » federal officials emphasized.
Montenegro will compete in Group B of the 2027 World Cup qualifiers. The team will face Portugal and Romania in November, before a double-header against Greece in February and March. Mitrovic will be officially presented as head coach in late November in Podgorica, marking the beginning of an ambitious new cycle for Montenegrin basketball, which will have to do without Nikola Vucevic, who retired from international duty after EuroBasket 2025.
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