Draco Flaninich arrived in Maccabi Tel Aviv with a fanfare, but soon left and his career has not risen • Tonight (20:00), an excavation battle awaits Ness Ziona against fiery Jeff Whitey

• Planninich in the hand of Elijah. "I was very young, not sorry"

  Photo:

  Alan Shaver

At the beginning of the previous decade, Draco Planninich was marked as a great potential. In Europe they talked about the next big thing and the predictions were that it would reach the BBC. At the age of 22, after being the outstanding player in the Adriatic League, he stood out at the prestigious Eurocap camp in Treviso, which concentrated on the best talents in Europe and even was invited to the summer league. He signed at the Maccabi Tel Aviv in December 2012 and won pretentious comparisons to Nicola Wichic.

Despite the high expectations Planninich did not manage with the pressure in yellow, he found it difficult to acclimate to David Blatt's method, and six months after he arrived he was loaned to Zibona Zagreb and has not returned to Tel Aviv.

"I remember a very young guy who came with a lot of energy," recalls Guy Goodes, who used to be a team coach at the time. "He really wanted to succeed and worked hard, but just arrived too soon. That needs to be built. Wanted to see instant results, so it was a less good combination. He just couldn't have succeeded in that situation. "

Speaking to "Israel Today," Planninich says that "I remember Maccabi very much wanted me and had a lot of conversations with my agents for that to happen. It's hard to recall the period itself in Maccabi, but I remember that in recent months I was looking for another team to move to the next season."

Wojciech. "Nicolas was a huge chin" // Photo: Alan Shiber

The role model: Wojciech

One of the people who pushed Planninich to Maccabi's arrival is Nicola Wojcic, now the Yellows' professional manager and at that time the Split's professional manager. I come from Yugoslav basketball, high old-fashioned, so I love the face players who play under the basket. Nicolas was a huge chin and served as a role model for me when I was young. I'm glad for the connection we had and the career advice I received from him. "

In retrospect, do you regret the decision to come to Israel?

"In general, I prefer not to look back. I was very young then, and my period there looked like it looked, but there is nothing to do. I really do not regret."

Even after leaving Maccabi Tel Aviv, Bosni's career with Croatian citizenship did not rise. He moved to Zibona, Budachnost, Laval Kocha, Gran Canaria, Dynamo Cesari, Gillona Gora and last summer joined Roman Cluj Napoca. I think to myself that I could have done things differently, better, "he admits honestly," and on the other hand, I know there are things that could have connected less well for me, so I try to be happy in the family I have and in my life. "

Can you go back and play at the highest levels in Europe, maybe even in Euroleague?

"I think so, I can still go back and play at the highest levels. I've already learned that it is impossible to know what will happen and what the future holds for us."

Tonight, Cluj will be hosted by Urban Ness Ziona as part of the second stage of the European Cup, and Flaninich is expecting a tough matchup, opposite the good chin at the factory, Jeff Whitey, who averages 17 points, 9.3 rebounds, 2.7 blocks (ranked first in the competition ) And 27.8 index points (first). Flaninich, who himself puts up good averages of 16.4 points, 5 rebounds and 16.3 index, is ready to battle under the baskets: "I know he's doing a really good season so far. I'll have to be very prepared for him."