Mateusz Ponitka said that a lot of things ultimately didn't work out in Partizan. He claimed that even opponents sometimes played better in front of Partizan fans due to the atmosphere they created.
After just a season in Serbia, Mateusz Ponitka parted ways with Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade. The Polish player admits - the pressure is high and the season just didn't work out the way everybody wanted or expected.
Ponitka gave an interview to Nikola Trbojevic from Basketball Sphere, where he addressed the previous season.
"It didn't work. A lot of different aspects came up during the season, and the coach also talked about it, so I'm not saying anything new now. Certainly a disappointing season for each of us, so we parted ways at the end," he said.
Even though the team was coached by Zeljko Obradovic and the two main leaders - Kevin Punter and Zach LeDay - remained on the roster from the previous year, Partizan did not win a single trophy during the 2023-24 season.
Now, the Serbian team's roster is being rebuilt almost entirely, with Balsa Koprivica most likely being the only player left from last year's roster.
"I understand where Zeljko is coming from. He's a perfectionist and always tries to teach the players and show them a specific way of playing basketball that's also the most effective and brings trophies and medals, which he's won many times. He knows how to win, and he tried to implement that last season as well as every season in his career," Ponitka said.
"He was professional from A to Z, in every game. Every game mattered, every game was important, and we tried to win every game while also representing Partizan and the fans. This was a big lesson for me, for sure, and the things I learned will mean more to me later in life," the player claimed. "In the end, we parted ways, and there's mutual respect between us. It was interesting."
The Partizan fans have gone viral multiple times due to their support during basketball matches so much so that other fanbases are sometimes compared to the Grobari, as they are called in Serbia.
According to Ponitka, sometimes even the opponents start playing better because of it.
"At first, you have to get used to it because it's different than what any other team has. You have to get used to them supporting you, and many times, the opposing players play differently because of that atmosphere that pushes them when they play against Partizan," Ponitka said.
"When you are on the team, you have to understand that you are now part of the family, and it was a really nice experience. In some moments, I really enjoyed it, but again, I couldn't do anything more," he concluded.
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