Montenegrin club volleyball, in both competitions, lags behind in terms of quality even compared to mediocre teams in Europe, and the regional league is an opportunity to start from the low level it is currently at, said trophy expert Igor Kolaković.
In an interview with the MINA agency, he said that the idea of the regional league is certainly good, stating that the First Montenegrin Volleyball League is too narrow a training ground for advancement.
"In order not to lose the meaning of the competition, it is very important that Montenegrin clubs have much stronger opponents as an opportunity to progress. Maybe at the moment the quality of our clubs is not at an enviable level, but the league will certainly motivate coaches, players, and management to get more involved and invest in the quality of the teams in order to reach the level of the others," Kolaković said.
According to him, national volleyball is in a better position thanks primarily to players who play outside of Montenegro.
"It won't last long either, if the clubs don't start playing our sport seriously and with quality. First of all, we lack conditions for training in clubs, perhaps a little more expertise, and certainly support for smaller clubs in the local areas where they live and work," said Kolaković.
Commenting on the election of Nikola Kažić as president of the Volleyball Association, he said that even as a young volleyball player in the Budućnosti jersey, he showed quality and ambition in his work and that he is sure that he and his team will give their best so that volleyball in Montenegro moves towards better days.
"It's a shame that he didn't achieve the same results in the senior competition as he did in the junior competition. There were objective obstacles for him to achieve this. That is why now, as president, he expresses even greater ambition. He is familiar with the complete program of functioning of a serious system, such as Budućnost Podgorička banka, and now he is transferring it to the federation as well," Kolaković said.
He emphasized that Kažić, General Secretary Ivan Bošković and their team started aggressively, with a lot of ideas and are already slowly realizing some that were quite far away until yesterday.
"The best example is the already mentioned regional league and the inclusion of Montenegrin clubs in that competition," said Kolaković.
The famous Montenegrin coach believes that Ivica Jevtić and Jovo Caković are great solutions for the selectors of the senior national teams of Montenegro.
"Jevtić and Caković, even as young coaches, achieved great results in Serbia with their teams. Both of them were members of the professional staff of the senior national teams of Serbia and thanks to that they were on the biggest volleyball scene in that period. They worked with top players and coaches," said the trophy expert.
According to him, regardless of their age, their professional level is enviable, and certainly the potential that they can improve even more in their work with the Montenegrin national teams.
"Their work will not be easy, they will have many trials in work and competitions. The women's national team is in a more favorable situation regarding placement at the European Championship, which would mean a lot for women's volleyball. It would be a debut on the big stage. The men will have a lot of problems with qualifying, but they are young, they have been given a chance, and only in some perspective can something more be expected from them when it comes to results," said Kolaković.
Answering the question whether he can be expected to be engaged in Montenegrin volleyball soon, he said that the desire exists, but that reality "somehow always directs him somewhere else".
"Somehow, I always wish, or even better, think how good it would be to be able to work and live in my city and thus help volleyball in Montenegro. Reality somehow always directs me somewhere else, because it is known that the conditions for living and working in volleyball in Montenegro are not good now. Maybe one day that wish will come true, it would be great," said Kolaković, who started his playing and coaching career in Budućnost.
Kolaković said that he wanted to be the first coach of Montenegro, but that the leadership of the Volleyball Association then decided on a different choice.
"I felt guilty at the time, but their decision took me in a different, better direction, which certainly helped me to make an even better career. The then president of the Volleyball Federation of Serbia, Aleksandar Boričić, offered me the position of coach. I had no dilemma, I accepted and in my first eight-year term led Serbia to eight medals at major competitions," Kolaković said.
He pointed out that the goal was fulfilled in the second term on the bench of Serbia, with which after 12 years he again won a place at the Olympic Games.
"It was three turbulent seasons with a lot of problems - injuries and operations of players who were dragged from their clubs. In practically no season did we have the physiognomy of the team that we wanted. In the end, we managed to meet at the Olympic Games, but because of one set, we did not make it to the quarterfinals. The impression remains that we could. "When everything is looked at, I can say that I left the Serbian national team satisfied," said Kolaković.
As satisfaction for hard work, apart from the already mentioned placement in Paris, he mentioned the promotion of younger players who were not in the foreground before or who made their debut for the national team with him.
"This is hope for the future of volleyball in Serbia, although it will be very difficult to win a medal at a major competition in the near future. I would like to be mistaken," Kolakovic said.
He pointed out that he lacks an Olympic medal to complete his career so far.
"I never set any big goals for myself. I always went from game to game. Somehow, the final goal seemed very far away at the beginning, but as we got closer to the victories, the picture of the goals would become clearer. I could list a lot of unfulfilled goals, but I would single out that I am missing an Olympic medal. That would certainly complete the final picture of my career," said Kolaković.
Speaking about his current team, he said that Halkbanka is one of the best organized volleyball clubs in Europe.
He emphasized that it is a great honor and privilege to be in that club, stating that the organization resembles the best football clubs in Europe.
"It is very important for Halkbanka, as the main sponsor, to maintain the level of the club, but also the results of the team. That's why it's not easy to work at Halkbanka, because expectations are always the highest, said Kolaković.
He pointed out that this season they don't have the same team as last season, but for now they are recording excellent results.
"We are second in the league, as well as in our group, in the Champions League. The hardest part of the job awaits us in the second part, and that's when the results of this season's success will be calculated," said Kolaković.
He emphasized that he was glad that in his city as a volleyball player he had the opportunity to play a match in front of the full stands of the Morača hall and later win a trophy in the same environment as a coach.
Kolaković recalled the unforgettable atmosphere in the final against Budva Riviera, the full hall and the spectacle put on by the fans of both clubs.
"It was an unprecedented spectacle of the fans of the Varvars, including the Pirates, it was an atmosphere to remember. And now if I were to dream again that such times would return, maybe that would happen. Apart from my imagination, a lot needs to be done to improve volleyball. And the other responsible and less responsible actors of volleyball sport in Montenegro must join my imagination and desire, and mostly work in that direction", concluded Kolaković.
Kolaković started and ended his playing career in Budućnost, he also wore the jersey of Partizan Belgrade, with which he won two championship titles and the Yugoslav Cup.
With the Budućnosti team as a coach, he has three championship trophies (2002, 2005, 2006) and a Cup in the former state union (2000) and two titles (2007, 2008) and three Cups (2007, 2008, 2009) in independent Montenegro.
With the Slovenian ACH volley, he won the double crown in Slovenia and the trophy in the Central European League.
In his rich coaching career, Kolaković also managed ACH volley, Khan and Zaverće, and was the coach of Serbia and Iran.
In his first term on the Serbian bench, Kolaković won eight medals.
He was the European champion at the European Championships in Austria and the Czech Republic in 2011, won bronze at the World Championships in Italy in 2010, bronzes at the European Championships in Russia in 2007 and Denmark in 2013, and two silvers (2008, 2009) and a bronze (2010). in the World League. He is the world vice-champion with the under-23 team.
Leading the Iranian team, he won bronze at the World Cup, gold at the Asian Games, a medal of the same brilliance at the Asian Championship, as well as fifth place in the League of Nations, and he managed to qualify for the Olympic Games in Tokyo.
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