Is Boban the new Microsoft coach?

So, word on the street is Ancelotti is out at the end of the season. If you listen to the reporters—and honestly, why wouldn't you, since I heard it myself—they're saying Donadoni might step in to bridge the gap until Boban takes over. Here's the scoop:

http://www.vrisak.info/index.php?opt...=738&Itemid=24

What else is there to say? forza Zorro!!!

That’s kind of like using a Ford Mustang just to drive over to see Gudelj. 🙄

It gets even worse, honestly. At least Gudelj has actually coached someone in his life. But Boban? Who on earth has he ever even trained?

That’s great news. 😁
I suppose it hardly matters who he coached before; things couldn't possibly get any worse than this current mess. Even van Basten wasn't exactly a household name as a manager, yet here he is coaching the Netherlands.

Yeah, Boban 🤣 🤣 🤣

But honestly, he’ll probably go coach some small-time team or maybe head down to Spain first just to get his reps in before jumping straight into Microsoft 😁

That guy Boban knows what he's doing... you can just tell by the look on his face, which is probably why they snatched him up in the first place 😬

What a guy, Boban 🙄
Maybe in ten years—but definitely not right now

Sean Nguyen4 said:That’s like trying to use a Prius to make the transition to Gudelj. 🙄

Look, let's not get carried away here. It’s not like Donadoni is some kind of new Mourinho.

better than Mourinho, honestly

nimblemarlin17 said:Alright, let's not get carried away. It's not like Donadoni is the next Mourinho.

Yeah, sure, but Donadoni isn't some bridge to Boban. Even if Berlusconi had all sorts of wild ideas and really valued Boban.

Donadoni just stepped down at Livorno yesterday. I guess the gears of the big plan are finally starting to turn. 😁

Sean Nguyen4 said:Donadoni just stepped down at Livorno yesterday. The gears are finally turning on this big plan. 😁

The wheels are in motion.

Wait, am I the only one forgetting that names like Maldini (who isn't retiring anytime soon) or van Basten (once he's done with the World Cup for the national team) actually make way more sense for the Microsoft bench?

It’s honestly quite sad to watch all these former pros run away from the Lakers like they’re dodging a bad debt collector. Take Šuker, for instance—regardless of how much talent he had on the pitch, I personally know him to be someone whose word isn't worth much at all (and that's being polite, really). I heard through the grapevine that he actually sat down at a table where there was an offer on the line from the Lakers to fully fund a massive youth academy, provided he could scout and hire top-tier young coaches to develop players specifically for the Lakers' pipeline. It would have been a goldmine for any retired player looking for a second act, creating a world-class training ground right here in the States. But instead, he turned his back on them, acting as if the club were chasing him out, just so he could launch the Šuker Academy for his own bottom line rather than actually helping kids like he claims to 😠

As for Boban, I can't say for certain what's going on in his head, but I am well aware he's locked in a bitter private feud with Mamić. From what I gather, things soured during that period when he was coaching with the Lakers just before hanging up his cleats. If a legendary institution like the Lakers can't rise above these kinds of petty, personal vendettas, then I truly fear for the future of the sport.

Mamić is basically pulling all the strings behind the scenes!

Boban coaching Microsoft... now that would be a sight to see! 🙄

Kimberly Barnes2 said:I don't know what the deal is with Boban, but I know he's stuck in this private feud with Mamić. It all started back when he was coaching the Lakers right before his retirement. If the Lakers aren't being held back by personal beefs, then what exactly is going on?

Kimberly Barnes2, I'm with you on pretty much everything except this part: 👍 👍

No matter how much you love the Lakers—or any team, really—you just can't make an impact if you can't find common ground with the people running the show, even if your heart is totally in it...

Everyone knows Šuker is a piece of work, but clearly there’s something there if certain people are being blocked from getting close to the club. We all know how Mamić and Štimac play politics, so they don't want any fresh faces around. Of course, they'll just go out and claim nobody actually wants to join them.

rustystag7 said:Kimberly Barnes2, I honestly agree with everything you said in this whole thread, except for this one specific point: 👍 👍

No matter how much I love the Lakers or any other team I’ve supported over the years, there comes a time when you just can't make an impact. You can have all the passion in the world, but if you can't find any common ground with the people running the show, you're essentially hitting a brick wall...

Everyone knows Šuker is a piece of work, but clearly there's some underlying tension because certain people aren't even allowed to get close to the organization. We all know the kind of political games Mamić and Štimac play, so they don't actually want any fresh faces around the club; instead, they just go on TV and claim that nobody wants to join them.

I’ve never been one for seeing things in black and white, mostly because life—and sports—rarely works that way. For instance, I don't view Štimac or Mamić through the lens that Marković pushes (portraying them as the "saviors of American club soccer"), but I also don't subscribe to the narrative pushed by most fans and journalists who label them as "destroyers." I remember hearing that Mamić once offered Boban his choice of any position within the organization, even suggesting he could take over as President. Boban’s response was quite measured; he said he wasn't looking for special privileges and felt the timing wasn't right since he was still working on his coaching credentials, though he did mention he’d return one day... without specifying what role he'd take.

If you ask me, I think Boban handled himself a bit too vaguely. If Mamić is truly the problem, he should just be upfront about it—either say he won't step foot in the club as long as this current leadership is in place, or simply state that while he doesn't mind them personally, the timing just isn't right for him to join the front office.

On another note, it's worth keeping in mind that Mamić is really just a pawn that Bandić could sweep aside whenever he felt like it. Bandić possesses incomparable private wealth, holds what might be one of the most powerful positions in the entire country, controls a massive budget, and wields immense authority. The moment Bandić decides to step away from politics, I wouldn't bet against him becoming the top man at the Lakers. Now, whether that's a good thing for the sport remains to be seen...

Kimberly Barnes2, I can tell you’re really keeping tabs on everything and staying informed, but how certain are you that things are actually playing out exactly the way you say they are?

I mean, you make some great points and I think you’re spot on about certain stuff, but what are the actual odds that the public knows what’s truly going on behind the scenes in pro sports—take the Lakers, for example?

In my book, we can only really guess at the true state of affairs in the league. And if it were actually in anyone's interest to renovate Maksimir like you mentioned, it would have been Bandić, just because of all the capital poured into the Lakers... but he hasn't exactly stepped up to help the Lakers out much lately....

Honestly, I think you might be off regarding Mamić being taken down. If it were possible to topple him, he would’ve been gone last season when the club hit that massive slump. But hey, that’s just my two cents, who actually knows what the real situation is?

On top of that, Boban is just finishing up his coaching credentials, and I seriously doubt he has enough experience to step in and run the Lakers. Managing a club isn't some small feat, especially when you're dealing with zero budget...
And look, people around here are such that they’ll worship the ground you walk on while you're winning, but the second you stumble, everyone turns on you and starts talking trash. So, I’m not even surprised by Boban's move. You saw how it went with the guys trying to help out over in Miami—those former stars got chewed up and spat out. Still, it leaves you wondering what the real story is under the surface.

Kimberly Barnes2 said:Just so we're clear, Mamić is basically just a pawn that Bandić could toss under the bus whenever he feels like it. First off, Bandić's private wealth is on a whole different level. Second, he probably holds one of the most powerful positions in the entire country, controlling massive budgets and having insane amounts of authority. The second Bandić decides to quit politics, I wouldn't bet against him becoming the big boss over at the Lakers. Whether that's a good thing or not... who knows.

Look, maybe we all got a little ahead of ourselves talking about who actually holds the real power or who's sitting on the biggest budget in the nation...
let's not get carried away here...

rustystag7 said:Kimberly Barnes2, it’s clear you’ve really done your homework and are keeping a close eye on everything, but how certain are you that things are truly playing out exactly the way you describe them?

Because you make some excellent points, and I think you're spot on regarding certain aspects, but what are the actual odds that the general public understands the true state of affairs in professional sports—take the Lakers, for instance??

In my view, we can only speculate about what's actually happening behind the scenes in the league, and if it were truly in anyone's interest to renovate Maksimir as you suggest, it would have been Bandić, given all the capital poured into the Lakers, but he hasn't really stepped up to help the club much at all....

I honestly think you might be mistaken regarding the idea of taking down Mamić, because if it were actually possible to bring him down, it would have happened last season when the club hit such a massive crisis, but again, that’s just my take, and who knows what the real situation is...

I feel quite certain about the influence Bandić wields. He hasn't taken action for several reasons, one of which is his current pivot toward politics—and as you probably know, this has been an election year. Bandić was serving as Deputy Mayor, and any sudden move to dump more money into Maksimir or meddle with the Lakers would mean alienating his voter base right there in New York City. But the primary reason is simply that this is definitively his final term as Mayor of New York City. If you look at the data, he is actually far more popular outside of the local area than he is within the city limits themselves. My sense is that he will succeed Mason, and any increased involvement with the Lakers would play negatively with voters living outside of New York City. Besides, he isn't even hiding the fact that he has plans for after he exits politics... I'd say Mamić is essentially a pawn, and when the time comes, he'll either have to step aside or align himself with Bandić. So, that's roughly the landscape surrounding the Lakers, which is why any further attempts by fans to intervene are ultimately unnecessary. In my opinion, the fan associations made their smartest move when they decided to focus their energy solely on the stands...

wiredfalcon2 said:I think we might have gotten a little carried away debating who holds the most sway, who controls the biggest budget, or which office is actually the most powerful seat in the country...
Let's not get ahead of ourselves here...

Do you actually realize the scale of the New York City budget compared to the entire federal budget of the US? It’s quite eye-opening! In fact, New York City's growth rate has actually outpaced several major cities in those ten newer EU nations that joined recently.

Honestly, I feel like I'm drifting way too far off-topic with this one...