Serbia coach criticizes refereeing in match against USA in 2024 Olympic semi-final

The referees showed no respect for the Serbian national basketball team in the 2024 Olympic semi-final match against the US team, the Serbian head coach said.

On Thursday, the Serbs lost to the Americans with a score of 91:95, although they were leading for most of the match.

— I am angry because we were not respected by the referees. There is a saying in Serbia that a loser has the right to be angry. I am angry because the referees showed us disrespect. The best player in the world, Nikola Jokic, shoots four free throws in 37 minutes. Our best scorer, Bogdan Bogdanovic, plays 32 minutes and only shoots one free throw.

It means that strange things happen. I don’t belittle the opponent’s victory, I wish them luck. But strange things happened tonight

I am proud, but also disappointed. We have not earned respect as a basketball nation and as a team. I have always told the players that if you keep quiet, if you fight, the referees will reward you. This time we did not have that. That is how we ended a great game, – Mozzart Sport quotes the coach as saying.

In the 2024 Olympics final, the US team will play against the French team, and in the match for third place, the Serbs will meet the Germans. The matches will take place on August 10.