GRE - For Trinchieri, expectations can be a burden

ATHENS (EuroBasket/FIBA Basketball World Cup) - There is more than meets the eye when it comes to Greece's national team and especially its Italian coach, Andrea Trinchieri.

Most people probably don't know that the Milan-born tactician has an American father and Croatian mother, and that he is an admirer of the late Drazen Petrovic, the Croatia basketball legend who died in a car crash 20 years ago.

"I admired Drazen Petrovic because I went to Croatia and there he was like God," said Trinchieri.

"It is a love that never ends."

Another Trinchieri fact is that though he has ascended the coaching ranks, finding success at the helm of Italian Lega A side Cantu, unlike many coaches today, he was never a good player.

"I tried to play but to tell the truth, I was awful," he said.

"I was worse than horrible, but fortunately I looked for another way to stay in basketball and I started coaching when I was 18."

Another unknown fact is that had Trinchieri’s parents had their way, he never would have been a coach.

"My father was a Harvard graduate and the Trinchieri family plan was for their kid to go to Harvard," he said in remarks to the Greek media.

And when Trinchieri announced he wanted to enter the coaching profession?

"My father asked me in a wild and imperative tone: 'You're doing what?'

"And when I insisted, he said, and at that time they were right, 'You cannot live by doing a hobby.'

"That's why almost every day I wake up in the morning and I feel very lucky, because I've got a passion for my job.

"Now, my parents are very proud of me but in the beginning, it was difficult..."

Greece's fans hope that by 22 September, Trinchieri will have shown why the federation handed him the reins to their national team.

The team is gunning for a spot in the 2014 FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain and to make it, the Greeks will need to have a top-six finish at next month's EuroBasket 2013 in Slovenia.

If Spain are in the first six, then Greece will require a top seven place.

As Greece will play in Group D at the EuroBasket against Russia, Finland, Sweden, Italy and Turkey, it should be difficult just to advance from the first round.

During the build-up, Trinchieri has hit the odd bump in the road.

On Saturday, Greece won, but didn't blow out American college side Florida State in their friendly.

"It was a preparation game with several negatives for us," admitted veteran guard Nikos Zisis following the 87-75 win.

"But this can only be good for us to look at and work on.

"We are accustomed to winning games by 30 points, but it didn't happen. What is important at this stage is not the result, but to see what needs to be improved."

Zisis sounded like Trinchieri, a coach who is acutely aware of the fans’ aims, and the many people who have a passion for basketball.

"Everyone in this country and the fans should not be putting extra pressure on this group," he said.

"We have the ambition to go for a medal, but this should not be the goal."

FIBA