The Mario Hezonja case involves a boil: Actual Madrid are betting on the continuity of the Croatian ahead, regardless of him rejecting the primary renewal gives; On the identical time, this Friday it was revealed that he had a closed settlement with Barcelona, as Marca and Mundo Deportivo have introduced and AS has been in a position to be taught. Even, in response to a number of sources, it has been occurring for weeks. On Wednesday, Hezonja, 29, was proclaimed league champion with Madrid and, as quickly as the sport ended, he stated this with out being requested about his future: “I am not going to speak about three titles, I want to discuss additional. I am like that, I am at all times a perfectionist. This 12 months now we have solely misplaced the sport we performed badly and now we have misplaced a title. I really feel very dangerous about this, however I want to give again to our individuals, to my membership, to Actual Madrid… Within the coming years I want to give again this with many extra titles. I hope it occurs.”
These statements actually felt dangerous inside Barça and the membership questioned the suitability of the Croatian’s incorporation. To such an extent that this Friday afternoon the entity closed the door on his signing via the Efe company, to which a certified Barcelona supply has assured that there’s “no sort of settlement” to signal the ahead and that he won’t play on the Palau. The spokesperson explains that nothing has been finalized and that the membership was interested by its future earlier than the Last 4, as there was curiosity on all sides, however “nothing was ever signed”, in response to the identical supply, and subsequently the Barça has evaluated “different choices that appear higher.” A type of choices is Kevin Punter. The Barça membership has additionally denied Actual Madrid any dedication to the Dubrovnik-born athlete.
Then again, one of many important culés animation teams, the Dracs, revealed a message on social networks relating to Hezonja with the next textual content: “After all of the statements he has been making currently, the gestures and the mocking appears, additionally when he got here to play on the Palau… Given the present rumors, we’re clear. Mario? No, thanks”.
The choice of Kevin Punter as an alternative of Hezonja
This Friday afternoon, Mundo Deportivo additionally reported on an settlement between the Barça membership and Kevin Punter, which has been confirmed to AS. The capturing guard is without doubt one of the greatest exterior gamers in Europe and was already very near committing to the Catalan staff final summer season. He now has one 12 months left of his relationship with Partizan Belgrade, with whom he lastly determined to resume in 2023, so he must negotiate the termination with the Serbian staff. A number of market sources consulted see it as unlikely that Barça will undertake the additions of Punter and Hezonja in the identical summer season and imagine that will probably be one or the opposite.
Hezonja, as well as, as defined to AS, has been assembly this morning with the sports activities administration of the white membership, which continues to guess on his renewal as one of many important gamers for subsequent season. With the Hezonja case in full swing, his important agent, Kostas Papadakis, tried to mood the state of affairs within the Greek media SDNA: “Every little thing associated to his current and future is simply legitimate if it comes from him or from me. “Hezonja has a contract with Actual Madrid till the tip of the season after which he’ll make his determination.”
And with the case boiling, Aleksandar Petrovic, Drazen’s brother, former Croatian coach and now accountable for Brazil, says that he sees him at Panathinaikos: “The Actual Madrid leaders will discuss to him day by day. The issue they’ve is one other: they’ve a squad that’s too massive, with 15 gamers. Hezonja doesn’t get the minutes he needs, nor the function he would love. In Panathinaikos there may be far more area within the small ahead and energy ahead positions and that may be a bonus. He would return to the place the place he began. They adore him there.” Exterior of Spain he has additionally been linked to Partizan Belgrade.
Background
In Could, the contacts between Barça and the Croatian ahead, who weren’t making progress in everlasting negotiations with Actual Madrid, had been a bombshell after they got here to gentle. On the desk, an apparent financial subject. However it was additionally stated that he was not fully comfortable together with his function in Chus Mateo’s staff. Since final 12 months, Panathinaikos had been the nice menace to take him. He performed on the Athenian staff and has acknowledged a number of occasions that he want to put on the inexperienced jersey once more, with which he regained sensations and happiness for the sport after a time within the NBA that ended with a foul style in his mouth.
Barça entered the bidding, however Actual Madrid continued working to shut an settlement that now appeared on monitor. Hezonja himself already joked about his state of affairs within the Last 4 in Berlin (“Florentino Pérez threatens me to proceed… and hopefully”). And now, after profitable the League, he as soon as once more made some statements that appeared to smack of continuity in white and which have been so dangerous for the culé entity.
If Barcelona, or every other ACB staff, introduced an settlement for him, Madrid would have the best of first refusal, nevertheless it appears unattainable for it to train it if the figures are what have been revealed: about three million euros internet per season, shut to 6 million euros gross per marketing campaign, virtually 24 in a contract of not less than 4 seasons. Some market sources see it as extremely unlikely that the settlement will truly attain that quantity, however they’re unaware of it.
From Barça to Madrid passing via the NBA
After profitable the Euroleague final summer season, there have been rumors that he might depart, however Hezonja made it clear that he would fulfill the second 12 months of his contract in Madrid whereas the inexperienced shadow of Panathinaikos lengthened. Then, Barça appeared on the scene, a return with lots of curiosity as a consequence of his stopover in Madrid and since it didn’t sit effectively with him that the membership didn’t have him when he determined to depart the NBA. He had been a Barça participant since 2012, when after profitable the Junior Euroleague with Zagreb he signed for 3 seasons. As a Barça participant, he was elected Rising Star of the LEB Oro with the reserve staff, and later took steps within the first staff underneath the steerage of Xavi Pascual, with whom it ended up being rumored that he had not had a great relationship, which ended. having communication issues. The Dubrovnik coach has denied this and Hezonja additionally made it clear in an interview for AS that he had not had any hassle with the Gavá participant: “Issues at all times went very effectively with him, he helped me so much, he talked to me as a lot as he might and he did not. I ended studying. An amazing coach with lots of authority within the membership and that suited me effectively.”
At Barça he left flashes of superclass with out, nonetheless very younger, continuity. In a sport towards Manresa (February 2015) he scored 8/8 in triples. Within the 2014-15 Euroleague he averaged 7.7 factors and a couple of rebounds. However later, earlier than utterly breaking right into a star with Barça, he made the leap to the NBA, the place he continued to play as a Barcelona participant.
Associated information
That modified later, when he needed to return and didn’t achieve this to a membership that had his rights in Europe, with a worth of 400,000 euros for his freedom. On the Palau they had been in search of a ahead… however with a distinct profile, in order that they renounced the rights of a participant who went to UNICS, and performed at his greatest aggressive degree (14.2 factors and 6 rebounds). His subsequent vacation spot was Actual Madrid, the place he arrived at a super second in his profession to contribute as a really strong participant on the court docket, each in protection and assault, with traces of the star that he at all times aimed to be and, moreover, already with rested veteran character within the locker room. In white he has received all of the titles within the final two years, underneath the command of Chus Mateo.
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