Igor Kolaković: “Stronger competition leads to even better performances in the Champions League”

Multiple-time Slovenian champions ACH Volley LJUBLJANA are once again led from the bench by the coaching tandem of Igor Kolaković and Dragan Kobiljski, just as they were 15 years ago. The former long-time head coach of the Serbian national team previously guided ACH Volley, then competing under the name ACH Volley BLED, from 2010 to 2012, winning two “double crowns” - two national championships and two Slovenian Cups.

“We have eight Slovenian national team players from the 2025 World Championship in our roster. In addition to the starting five - Tine Urnaut, Gregor Ropret, Tonček Štern, Alen Pajenk and Jani Kovačič - Nejc Najdič, Janž Janez Kržič and Luka Marovt were also part of the squad in the Philippines. I must point out that our captain Urnaut is still not in top form, as his recovery from injury has been prolonged, but we are doing our best to meet, above all, our own expectations. We played in all three qualifying rounds of the Champions League, which is somewhat illogical, but even against TRENTINO we showed that our place among the best is no coincidence,” Kolaković said at the outset of the interview. 

The coaching resume of the 60-year-old, born in Podgorica, Montenegro, is rich in trophies, with his first international successes coming precisely in Slovenia.

“A year before my arrival, ACH finished fourth in the Champions League and reached the Final Four. It was an outstanding result and the foundation on which the club has been built to this day. ACH is a typical representative of Slovenian Volleyball, with an exceptionally high level of organisation. Alongside Kobiljski and myself on the bench, players such as Vlado Petković, Uroš Kovačević, Milan Rašić and many others from Serbia were on the court, and all of us carry wonderful memories from our time at the club,” Kolaković emphasised.

Kolaković served as head coach of the Serbian senior national team from 2006 to 2014 and again from 2022 to 2024. In that role, he won eight medals: one gold, three silver and four bronze. His achievements include a bronze medal at the 2010 World Championship, silver at the 2013 U23 World Championship, two silver medals (2008, 2009) and one bronze (2010) in the FIVB World League, as well as a gold medal at the 2011 European Championship and bronze medals at the 2007 and 2013 European Championships.

From 2003 to 2006, Kolaković was assistant coach of the Serbia and Montenegro national team and, working alongside Ljubo Travica, added four more medals: bronze at the 2003 World Cup, bronze in the 2004 World League, silver in the 2005 World League and bronze at the 2005 European Championship.

“That was a period that brought me a lot of joy, satisfaction, sadness and invaluable experience. What I am particularly proud of is the fact that I took Serbia to the Olympic Games three times - Beijing 2008, London 2012 and Paris 2024. Everyone knows how difficult it is to qualify for the Olympics and how important it is to be among the 12 best teams in the world. For Serbia, it was especially important to compete in Paris after a 12-year absence, and we managed to achieve that. I always felt a strong sense of belonging because of the players, the coaching staff, and the people in the federation. Such harmony is very rare, and we had it. With Serbia, I always felt at home,” Kolaković said nostalgically.

In addition to Serbia, Kolaković also coached Iran from 2017 to 2020, while his club career includes stints at AS CANNES (France), Aluron CMC Warta ZAWIERCIE (Poland), Halkbank ANKARA (Türkiye) and, once again, ACH Volley. During his first spell at ACH Volley BLED, he brought in a then 17-year-old Uroš Kovačević, already a young Serbian international. Asked how much space young players are given today, Kolaković was frank:

“From a coach’s perspective, it is almost impossible to focus on developing young players. Today’s job is about surviving from match to match, while player development is largely left to the players themselves. It is very difficult to give a young player a chance when you are playing important matches, yet without such matches young players cannot progress. Fifteen years ago, Kovačević was an exceptional talent and later became an exceptional player, because he earned his chance through his quality and maturity. That is a curse both for coaches and for young players. Competition is much stronger today, which certainly makes rejuvenating teams more difficult.”

With his experience, Kolaković is well placed to compare Volleyball in 2010 with the modern game, as well as the evolution of the Champions League.

“Today, many more clubs compete in the Champions League, even without Russian teams due to the ban. The volleyball market has expanded. We now have three clubs each from Türkiye, Poland and Italy, while all other national champions further strengthen the competition of 20 teams. Fifteen years ago, it was not possible for so many clubs from one country to play in the elite competition. The field was more balanced, but the overall level was lower. As always, the issue lies in the rules, and the game has become faster. By abolishing the second ‘dirty’ ball, points are now decided by players’ actions rather than referees’ decisions, resulting in longer rallies. The balls have changed, the number of quick combinations has decreased, and physical power has improved. Changes are necessary to drive progress, but they are happening rather slowly,” Kolaković analysed.

Last week, ACH Volley were defeated 3–0 in Trento, but the set scores showed that the match was far more competitive than the result suggests, with the Slovenian side having their chances.

“TRENTINO have a very respectable squad and will certainly aim not only for the Final Four but also for the trophy. The same applies to our next opponent, Ziraat Bankkart ANKARA. We took a longer route through the qualifiers to end up in what is probably the toughest Champions League group. Bad luck, but I think our rivals were also unlucky to be drawn with us. Our ambition is to present ourselves well. We will persist on that path. The schedule is not important - what matters is how well we play. There are five more rounds in which we will look for our opportunity. First comes Ziraat. We know them, but we want to show ourselves in the best possible light. It is encouraging that we have healthy competition in serve reception and among our middle blockers, with players as young as 20 already competing for starting roles,” Kolaković announced a fierce battle for ACH Volley’s continuation in the competition.

The Slovenian champions will host Turkish champions Ziraat Bankkart ANKARA in Pool A, Round 2, at the legendary Tivoli Hall in Ljubljana on Thursday, January 8, with the match scheduled to start at 20:00 local time.