Renewed PBC CSKA goes for victory in the Euroleague
MOSCOW, fifteen Dec - R-Sport, Semyon galkevich. Basketball players of Moscow CSKA on Thursday with a home fixture against Maccabi tel Aviv start playing in the Euroleague. Under the leadership of the Greek Dimitris Itoudis, entered second season with the Moscow club CSKA hope the fifth time in a row to get to the "Final 4" and finally to win the coveted trophy, not obey them since 2008.
in the first group stage drew to rivals CSKA Israeli " Maccabi ", the Spanish Unicaja, German " Bamberg ", the Italian Dynamo (Sassari), conductive in the Euroleague second season, and the debutant of the tournament Turkish " Darussafaka ". These six clubs will play in group D. Unicaja and Maccabi were rivals CSKA's first group stage last season, with a high probability Only the Spanish club and will be able to impose a real fight CSKA and Maccabi.
"If to speak about our group, I'm already excited, - said CSKA head coach Dimitris Itoudis official website of the Euroleague.- we've got such opponents That everyone can beat everyone." M. " very updated, they have a very large potential." Darussafaka " - novice tournament, but this may not lead someone astray, they have players with experience in the Euroleague." Bamberg " is back in the Euroleague in the title of German champion. Dynamo is a very competent coach and organized team, and Unicaja generally needs no introduction ".
CSKA traditionally considered to be the favorite of the tournament, while between seasons, the team lost 2 key players: American forward Sonny Weems, who decided to return to the NBA, and center Alexander Kaun, who signed the contract with " Cleveland ". Newcomers of CSKA became the British center Joel Freeland, forward of the national team of Russia Nikita Kurbanov, defenders Cory Higgins (American, became the best sniper of the League in the season 2013/14), Dmitry and Mikhail Kulagin.
To the start of the Euroleague military club came into practice in the optimal composition. In the infirmary of the team At the moment is Only Freeland, a week before the start of the season at the pre-match warm-up received re-injured the left calf muscle, which will miss the first two months of the season. The contract before the end of December was signed with former NBA player Ukrainian Slava Kravtsov, who played last season in China, and soon CSKA signed one year contract with another fifth was 24-year-old Russian Ivan Lazarev.
CSKA opened the season-2015/16 in the past week 2 matches in the VTB United League. First Muscovites have confidently dealt away with the debutant of the tournament - the Georgian club "Vita" (93: 60). Then CSKA have not experienced difficulties in the first official home game of the season against Volgograd "red October" (85: 67).
"The League is a special competition and intensity level of struggle. The matches of CSKA in VTB United League were only the preparation For the game with a serious contender. I always entertaining to watch These first Matches than playing in mid-season, when more know and understand. As for the prospects tournament CSKA, the task of the army is always the same - to win the Euroleague ", - said the Agency "R-Sport" Olympic champion in 1988 Sergey Tarakanov.
Etudes is expected to hold a second season in the Euroleague in the form of head coach. Last season coach led CSKA to the "Final 4" where the Army took Only the third place, losing in the semifinals of the Greek "Olympiacos" (68: 70). Itoudis first of five times became the winner of the tournament, but produced it in the form of assistant Zeljko Obradovic at Panathinaikos Athens.
"Don't even ask me about the" Final 4 ", we First need to get there." The final 4 " is the goal of our team and dream of absolutely all participants of the Euroleague. So let us advance from the group, get into the top 16, Alberese the playoffs and Then let's talk about the "Final 4," said Itoudis at the beginning of the start of the tournament.
CSKA six times won the most important European tournament: 1961, 1963, 1969, 1971, 2006 and 2008. Only real Madrid has more titles (nine). Over the past 13 years CSKA only once - in 2011 - was not able to reach the "Final 4" of the Euroleague.
|
