It's little wonder RheinEnergie Koeln have been winning with regularity this season. Their coach, Sasa Obradovic, knows a thing or two about the word victory.

A high-scoring guard in his playing days, Obradovic, who turned 37 on January 29,  helped Yugoslavia (now Serbia & Montenegro) capture the FIBA World Championship in 1998.

He also collected EuroBasket crowns in 1995, '97, '01 and captured Olympic silver in 1996 in Atlanta.

Other titles for Obradovic include the 1995 Korac Cup, two German championships (1996, 1997) and two German Cups (2004, 2005).

He retired after his final four seasons as a player with RheinEnergie Koeln and this season took over as coach of the German club and has steered RheinEnergie into a glitzy EuroCup quarter-final showdown with last year's runners-up, BC Kyiv.

Obradovic recently spoke to PA Sport's David Hein on behalf of FIBA Europe.

FIBA Europe: You are in your first season as coach at RheinEnergie Koeln. How are things going for you?

Obradovic: I'm learning to be a coach. It's not easy doing this, but I knew this before I started. I sacrificed myself for this. But I'm learning to deal with the pressure. As a player I know how to behave. At the end of the day, I can say I enjoy it. Being at practice and being around the game and talking to the players. I'm satisfied with how I can control the situation in the team. I always need to convince my players that what they're doing is good and they need to keep doing it. The season is long. But right now I'm okay.

FIBA Europe: Any urges to go out there and play after 17 years of firing them up?

Obradovic: No, I don't feel like going and shooting anymore. I have a chance when the guys are stretching or when practice is over. But I don't take the ball and shoot. I don't feel like it. If somebody's played enough, then I've played enough."

FIBA Europe: Sasa, turning this interview to Serbia & Montenegro. EuroBasket 2005 was obviously not the easiest tournament to watch as your homeland, despite hosting the event, finished outside the top eight and failed to qualify automatically for the FIBA World Championship. How did you feel about Serbia & Montenegro's performance last summer?

Obradovic: It was not an easy time for us. When I think back to 1995, when we were winning, and seeing the quality we had last year. We were one of the best teams. Maybe not the best, but the results are very disappointing for all of us former players. It was a special situation. The NBA players maybe weren't used to the European way of playing anymore. Maybe there's been a change in the meaning of wearing the Serbian jersey. Maybe they were thinking more about how they're going to get ready for the NBA challenge.

FIBA Europe: But this has been coming after the poor EuroBasket 2003 and the poor 2004 Olympics?

Obradovic: Over the last couple of years, players have refused to play for the national team. I think we've lost some of the team chemistry we had before which made us so good. We didn't have the feeling that we were playing as a team. And I don't think any coach could have stopped that.

FIBA Europe: So where does Serbian & Montenegro go from here?

Obradovic: Now we have to start thinking about the future. Who are the players who will play for the national team? And not just for one year. We need continuity. It's not just the World Championship and then the European Championship. Comparing to my generation - that continuity is the only way it works.

FIBA Europe: Do you think the showing by the national team in front of its own fans will light a fire that things need to change?

Obradovic: That's one of the biggest problems and is a big question for the new coach. We have lot of good players in the NBA. Each of them has to understand their role in the national team. They all can't be deciding games. Basketball is a team sport - even more in Europe. Basketball is totally different how they play there. I don't know if the coach (Zeljko Obradovic) had long enough time to explain that to the team.

FIBA Europe: So, do you only take European-based players?

Obradovic: Seeing the way we lost some important games in the last seconds, that could happen to us, too. But we always had a good team spirit. I don't think that was the case in the team last year. We need continuity. You have to believe in a set of players. If you don't have the results in one year, you have to know we'll have the success in the future. Last year was a really big lesson for each player. Everybody now realised the way it should work in the future. Whoever takes over the national team (Dragan Sakota was appointed this week), it will be okay because most of the players will react differently.

FIBA Europe: How relieved were you when Serbia & Montenegro received one of the four wild cards to the FIBA World Championship?

Obradovic: Nobody can say they have so good quality as Serbia & Montenegro. If they didn't give us this wild card, it would have been a big loss for the World Championship. Our best players will make this tournament that much more interesting. Now we have to show on the court that we earned the wild card.

FIBA Europe: Let's talk now a little bit about Germany, who were obviously the surprise team at EuroBasket 2005, capturing silver. You know Germany quite well from playing the final four years there and now coaching German club RheinEnergie Koeln. It appears German basketball awaits some hard times when the current generation of players around Dirk Nowitzki retire from national team duties. What do you think about the state of German basketball?

Obradovic: I'm not really optimistic with this. I'm disappointed with how it is. German basketball doesn't really invest that much in German players. Having only one German player on the roster, that's not the way. You can have 10 Americans on your team and one German to fill up the number. It's really hard to predict the future.

FIBA Europe: What stance have you taken as club coach? Success at all costs or help young Germans?

Obradovic: One of my ideas when I came here was to help. I wanted to bring in young German players and give them a chance to play. Providing for your young players is also your job as coach. You have to give them more of a chance, not just a role part but give them a main part in the team. Then you can count on them in the future. What happens if Dirk (Nowitzki) doesn't play for the national team? That's a big point and all the teams have to invest in more players. More Germans should be playing. Most of the Americans are not the highest level.

FIBA Europe: German Coach Dirk Bauermann obviously formed the national team into a strong unit after leading his club GHP Bamberg to the German title last season. And now he's nearly brought Bamberg into the Top 16 of the Euroleague as well in the team's first season there. Your thoughts about Coach Bauermann?

Obradovic: I have a big respect for him. I think he's done a good job in both competitions. Look at the European Championships. To be honest, that was a miracle and now the team is playing very well in the Euroleague. You can see they have someone coaching them well and giving them the instructions to make and execute the proper plays. If I could work with him, I would likely accept it.

FIBA Europe: Last question, any thoughts or dreams about one day taking over the helm of the Serbia & Montenegro national team?

Obradovic: This is a dream of everybody. I'm working to be there. If I had this offer then I'm already good enough. I'm looking forward to it. If I were offered it, I would definitely think about it. But I'm not thinking about it now.

FIBA Europe: Thanks and good luck.

Obradovic: Thanks, you too.