The clash between the former head coach of NBA teams Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Memphis Grizzlies (Fratello) and the four-time European club champion (Slovenia's Božidar Maljković) is also a match between the host of this year's EuroBasket and the host of the next tournament in 2015.

Slovenia will play without its captain Jaka Lakovič, who has back pain, and forward Boštjan Nachbar and centre Mirza Begić, who are to join the team next week as they are finalising new contracts.

Maljković is satisfied with the first week of the training camp in Rogaška Slatina. He told the press on Thursday that almost all players had arrived in an excellent shape and that the effort put in practice was good.

The EuroBasket hosts will play eleven more games as they gear up for the September tournament. They will play Macedonia on Sunday, and then a tournament with Latvia, Serbia and Turkey next weekend in Celje.

The four-team tournament will be followed by a tournament in Belgrade, after which Slovenia will play friendly matches with Bosnia-Herzegovina (Jesenice), Russia (Ljubljana), Montenegro, Italy (both in Koper) and France (Ljubljana).

The national team will have an open practice on Saturday in the Ježice gym in Ljubljana as part of a media day.