PANATHINAIKOS

The reigning champs are back with the core of last season’s triple-crown winning squad still together and hungry for more, while a few new faces make Panathinaikos as deep as ever. Zeljko Obradovic, the winningest head coach in Euroleague history, will now take aim at the one thing he and PAO have not yet done together – win back-to-back Euroleague crowns.


REAL MADRID

The Ettore Messina era is underway at Real Madrid and like at every club where the legendary coach has been, the Final Four is instantly the goal. Madrid have already picked up Rising Star Award winner Novica Velickovic and Darjus Lavrinovic and re-signed some others as Messina and co. mold the squad into a force to be reckoned with.



ARMANI JEANS MILANO

Armani Jeans Milano took a big step forward last season, winning seven of eight games at one point en route to a spot in the Top 16. Head coach Piero Bucchi is back and eager to build on those performances. Eurocup Final Eight MVP Marius Petravicius has come aboard to strengthen the frontline as the club looks to show that last season was no aberration and that Milano is ready to reclaim its spot among the European elite.


ASSECO PROKOM

Perennial Polish League champion Asseco Prokom crashed the Top 16 party again last season in head coach Tomas Pacesas’s first full season on the bench. It was Prokom’s third appearance in the Top 16 in five seasons. Now the club aims to do something it has yet to accomplish: Reach the Top 16 in back-to-back seasons.



BC KHIMKI MOSCOW REGION

BC Khimki Moscow Region is poised for its Euroleague debut this season and will not be satisfied with just the experience. Head coaching great Sergio Scariolo and new point guards Carlos Cabezas and Raul Lopez have seen it all before and will be sure that their team is ready to compete first for the Top 16 and then beyond from Day 1.



EWE BASKETS OLDENBURG

EWE Baskets Oldenburg arrives in the Euroleague for the first time on the strength of its first German League championship. Oldenburg kept finals MVP Rickey Paulding and playmaker Jason Gardener among others to give it a sense of continuity as it looks to follow in Alba Berlin’s footsteps as German champs reaching the Top 16.



Quotes


Armani Jeans Milano head coach, Piero Bucchi

"It seems like a twist of fate: This is the third time that I will participate in the Euroleague, the first time with Napoli and last year with Milano, and is the third time that my team is included in the regular season group with Ettore Messina’s team. Moreover, if we are scheduled for the first game, it would be the third time as well. In addition to that, it's a very charming and very strong group. Panathinaikos, the champion of Europe, and Real Madrid are two teams of the highest level. I am not sure what I can say. They have the players, coaches and facilities and are definitely aiming for the Final Four in Paris. Khimki with coach Scariolo, Prokom Sopot of Poland and Oldenburg of Germany are very good teams, but I am convinced that we can make it all the way to the Top 16."

Panathinaikos team manager, Manos Papadopoulos

“Once again it is a very strong group, but we enjoy playing strong games. That’s the best for us. We always try to win the title, so I believe we are going to win one more time. The fans will enjoy the games because they will be exciting games for sure. They are very good teams.”

Asseco Prokom sports director, Vera Vakulenko

"The draw procedure changed, but I think it was for the better, The competition is more open now and gives many teams the chance to reach the Euroleague regular season. We are in one of the strongest groups, with the reigning Euroleague champion Panathinaikos and Real Madrid, now with one of the best coaches in the Euroleague in Ettore Messina. Madrid will be really strong in the Euroleague this season. Khimki is also in our group, so it is safe to say it is a very strong regular season group. For us, it is another challenge and it is good to have the draw in July so that we know what to expect way in advance. We have time to adjust our roster and be competitive in the upcoming Euroleague season."

BC Khimki Moscow region general manager, Victor Bychkov

"We are about to face some of the top teams in Europe and we are looking forward to giving the chance to all Khimki fans to see our team face them. Panathinaikos is the reigning Euroleague champion and Real Madrid needs to introduction at all in world sports. All the teams are at a very high level, so we are looking forward to the challenge. We believe that the new Euroleague system is a great one, because in previous years we could not have the chance to make it to the Euroleague. The only door we had open is winning the Eurocup, so it was very tough to get in. We believe that the Euroleague has become more flexible, more open and gives fans around the continent a bigger chance to experience the best basketball in Europe."

Real Madrid sports director, Alberto Herreros

"It is a strong group, but I prefer to face tough teams in the early going to avoid them in the Top 16. That is the way I see it. It is better to face strong teams before the Top 16, when they have at their best level. Facing teams like Panathinaikos, CSKA, Barcelona or Tau Ceramica early is always a good thing. I think that the new system looks to the future and it is a very interesting one for Real Madrid. We are open that Euroleague looks forwards and tries to get the best competition for everybody. What our club wants is the Euroleague and the Spanish League to be as strong as possible, so that our fans can see competitive games all the time."

Armani Jeans Milano general manager Gianluca Pascucci

"It was not the toughest group for us, but of course, this is the Euroleague. We have Panathinaikos, the reigning Euroleague champion, as well as two of the top fives in Europe with Real Madrid, the 'galacticos,' and Khimki, the toughest fifth-seeded team in the draw. We will try to get in the race for fourth place with Asseco Prokom and EWE Baskets Oldenburg and do better if we can. As for the new Euroleague system, I really like it, as it gives a lot of opportunities to different teams and countries."

EWE Baskets Oldenburg head coach Predrag Krunic

"It is great to be part of the Euroleague, among the top 24 teams in Europe. That is something special for our club, of course. We earned the right to be here last season by winning the German League title. With Alba Berlin having the chance to qualify, Germany could have two Euroleague teams next season. I hope Alba can make it so that the German League, which already has a good organization, gets stronger. We have a lot of fans and there has been very good basketball in our league in the last couple of years. As for my team, we will be ready to compete and try to take one game at the time to reach as high as possible."

Panathinaikos forward, Kostas Tsartsaris

“Things are business as usual for Panathinaikos, since our goal is always to be on the top and achieve the maximum we can. We emphasize our team and not the opponents we have and try to go step by step. Regarding the group, I say that Real Madrid is a big club and they try to have a great team, so it will be interesting for both of us to play each other. The regular season is not so important, because you only care about making the Top 16 and then you look forward, but you cannot ignore it. Panathinaikos will be back to defend its title and we have always big motivation. We don’t lack ambition, we are greedy to win everything and we will try to repeat the triple crown.”

Panathinaikos head coach Zeljko Obradovic

“We have to work hard and be ready at the beginning of the regular season. OK, we know our opponents and there are teams with a lot of quality here, but it is too early to talk about this, because all of them are still under construction. My experience says that you have to play good basketball during the whole season, because every phase counts more or less. We won the 2009 Euroleague but the team is not missing the motivation and will come back to defend its title. I know that Paris brings a lot of memories to our fans, because Panathinaikos won there its first Euroleague trophy. We want to be in the Final Four, no matter the host city. The road is long and difficult and I insist that we have to go step by step.”
Wednesday, July 08, 2009
Euroleague.net