Marinković: "I wanted to get out of there" – I was considering leaving Partizan

If everything goes according to plan and he receives medical clearance, he could return to the court in late October or early November.

“I feel great, honestly. The estimates are that I’ll be back sometime in late October or early November, so that’s the tentative plan for now. We’ll see when I go for tests in Finland, where I had my surgery, and when I get the green light. After that, I’ll need some additional time to get back into playing shape. If everything goes according to plan, I could return around that time, but don’t hold me to it. The most important thing is that I feel great,” Marinković told Sportske.

While waiting to return, Marinković has been following the creation of what is essentially a new team from up close and is pleased with the way the new additions have fitted in.

“It seems to me that they have clicked, and that’s easy when the guys are good. I think they are quality people, that they know where they have come to and that they are familiar with what happened last season. They asked about it, so they know what to expect from all of this. I think that’s the most important thing. You shouldn’t expect some big breakthrough right at the start, because that’s not realistic. Still, the guys certainly know where they have come and how you need to play here. They will fight just as they have in all the games so far. The most important thing is to start well and lay a solid foundation, and then everything will be easier.”

Despite his injury, he extended his contract with Partizan.

“You know how it is, I got injured. Realistically, it was a combination of everything that happened last year. I had been carrying the injury since Spain, and it somehow healed, but not completely. The injury was a combination of pain and stress. The stress I went through last year is something I wouldn’t wish on anyone in their life. Not on any kid who comes to play for this club, not on any foreign player, nobody. When a player gets injured, especially if he is the captain and it’s his home club, the usual thing is to extend his contract. I agreed to that and wanted to stay because I didn’t want to leave this place that way. I wanted to recover, and if I were to leave, I wanted it to be in a better situation and when I was completely healthy.”

He admits that he considered leaving.

“After that, I think it was Saturday, I wanted to get out of there. If you had asked me then, I would have said I was leaving the next day. Probably any normal person would have done the same. Maybe some people are bothered by such things, maybe others aren’t, but that’s just how I am. I didn’t want to pack up and leave when the situation, as I already said, was a disaster. I would much rather leave one day when everything is better and when I’m completely healthy. I wouldn’t want anyone to misunderstand me, but if I ever need to leave, then so be it. All of that has passed now. My recovery is almost complete, I had an excellent operation, the best possible one, and I’m completely at peace. I have nothing to stress about, I know I didn’t do anything wrong and that I’m okay,” Vanja Marinković concluded.