First title of the season is on the line in Nova Gorica against Krka

Cedevita Olimpija are set for their first official test of the 2026/27 season. On Thursday at 20:00, the Dragons will face Krka in the 2026 Slovenian SuperCup at the Milojka Štrukelj Primary School Sports Hall in Nova Gorica, looking to open the new season by claiming the first domestic trophy on offer.

The preseason is slowly drawing to a close, and Cedevita Olimpija’s senior team is now preparing for its first official game of the new campaign. Head coach Zvezdan Mitrović’s squad will take on Krka from Novo Mesto in Nova Gorica on Thursday at 20:00, with the winner lifting the Slovenian SuperCup trophy.

Thursday’s clash will be the first highlight of the new season on the domestic stage and the first opportunity to claim a trophy. The Ljubljana side will look to continue its successful run in domestic competitions and bring another trophy home to the Dragons’ family. At the same time, the game will provide an important test of the revamped roster’s current level of readiness ahead of the start of the AdmiralBet ABA League and BKT EuroCup campaigns.

TV BROADCAST:

The 2026 Slovenian SuperCup game between Cedevita Olimpija and Krka will be broadcast live on Sportklub Slovenija 1.

PRE-GAME QUOTES:

Zvezdan Mitrović, Cedevita Olimpija head coach:
“I expect the SuperCup game against Krka to provide us with a good opportunity to assess where our players currently stand, particularly the younger domestic players. They will be joined by three or four foreign players, as is usually the case. Our primary objective is, of course, to win and claim the first trophy of the season, but we will also use the game to continue building chemistry within the team. We want to see how the new players and young players perform, as well as how the team functions as a whole.”

Jaka Blažič, Cedevita Olimpija captain:
“I expect us to play a good game, and I hope that we will be celebrating a victory and our first trophy of the new season at the end. I am certain that it will not be easy. It will certainly be interesting to see the SuperCup played in Nova Gorica, and I would like to take this opportunity to congratulate the local club on earning promotion to the top division of the Slovenian national championship.”

Rok Radović, Cedevita Olimpija player:
“Our first official game of the season is ahead of us. Krka have a good team that underwent several changes during the summer, and they are led by a good coach. I expect a demanding game. We are aware that we are the favourites, but we will have to justify that status on the court. Our objective is clear: we want to win the SuperCup and begin the season in the best possible way—with a trophy.”

GAME PREVIEW:

Thursday’s game will be Cedevita Olimpija’s first official appearance of the new season, during which the Ljubljana team will compete in the BKT EuroCup, AdmiralBet ABA League and domestic competitions. Following numerous changes to the roster, the Dragons’ preseason has largely been devoted to getting to know one another, establishing the team’s playing system and integrating the new players.

Krka, traditionally one of Cedevita Olimpija’s toughest domestic rivals, will stand on the opposite side of the court. With the first trophy of the season decided in a single game, there will be no room for a second chance. Krka will enter the new campaign under new head coach Domen Zevnik, who replaced Dejan Jakara at the helm. The team from Novo Mesto played seven friendly games during the preseason, recording four victories.

The Dragons began their preparations in Stožice in mid-August, continued their work in Kranjska Gora and played several friendly games over the past few weeks. Their final test before the SuperCup was Monday’s preseason game against Cibona.

Krka were Cedevita Olimpija’s most frequent opponents in the battle for domestic trophies last season. The two teams met in the Spar Cup Final, where the Dragons claimed a 99:78 victory, and in the Slovenian National Championship Finals, which the Ljubljana side won 3–0. Cedevita Olimpija and Krka also faced each other in the 2025 Slovenian SuperCup in Polzela, where the Dragons completed a fourth-quarter comeback to secure the victory. The team from Novo Mesto will therefore be highly motivated on Thursday, while games between the two Slovenian rivals traditionally feature plenty of intensity and physical play.

Cedevita Olimpija and Krka will meet again just nine days later. On Saturday, 26 September, they will face each other at Tivoli Hall in the opening round of the new AdmiralBet ABA League season.

2026 SLOVENIAN SUPERCUP

Milojka Štrukelj Primary School Sports Hall (Nova Gorica, Slovenia), Thursday, 17 September, at 20:00:
CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA – KRKA (live on Sportklub Slovenija 1)

LOOKING AHEAD:

Following the SuperCup game, the Dragons will take part in Cedevita Olimpija Day in front of Arena Stožice on Saturday, where they will open the new season together with their fans, young basketball players, partners and friends of the club. On Sunday, they will play another preseason game against Pallacanestro Trieste in Trieste, before opening the new AdmiralBet ABA League season against Krka at Tivoli Hall on Saturday, 26 September.