Nenad Dimitrijevic returns to the national team and vows to fight for EuroBasket qualification

Nenad Dimitrijevic is back in the North Macedonia senior national team after a short break and will join the squad for the August FIBA window, when the team travels to Vienna for a crucial qualifier against Austria.

Dimitrijevic arrives with clear ambitions

The returning guard says he knows what to expect from the opponent but trusts the preparation time the team has. "We know the Austria squad is a serious team that plays 'run and gun' basketball. I think they are a difficult opponent, but we have eight to nine days to prepare together for the game and to go to Vienna for that desired victory," Dimitrijevic said.

Roster changes came after Ethan Happ suffered an injury and Moses Wright has been added to the national team. Dimitrijevic praised both players and expressed confidence that Wright will complement the lineup under the basket: "Previously we had Ethan Happ under the basket as a serious and quality player, but his injury was unfortunate and it was a handicap in the previous qualifiers against Estonia. Now we get Moses Wright, a top-quality player. I hope we will form a good tandem and, together with the other players, achieve success."

Beyond the immediate clash with Austria, Dimitrijevic stressed the bigger objective: qualification to the next European Championship. "Our goal is to qualify for the next European Championship; for me that will be the last chance to play at a Euro tournament with North Macedonia and I will give everything I have to make that happen," he added.

With Dimitrijevic reinstated in the roster, the senior team has begun preparations in Skopje with the explicit aim of arriving in Vienna fully ready to fight for an important victory.

Photo: press material from the event