“Let’s start the season with the Russians. If that’s not enough, we step in.” We spoke with new CSKA head coach

– Where are you now?

“In Greece, with my family. Resting on the peninsula of Halkidiki. It’s a three hour drive from Skopje where I live. Nice place to rent a house or apartment. Everything is almost like in North Macedonia, we come here every summer.

– When will you come back to Moscow?

— About the 15th of August.

“How are you doing with your Russian language?”

I understand and can speak. Maybe not good enough for official interviews, so I communicate with you in English.

– How long is your contract with CSKA?

– Two years.

– You are 43 years old, a promising coaching age. But CSKA cannot play on the international stage. Were there any doubts about this?

– Not. I knew the situation when I accepted, but CSKA is CSKA, a big club. I hope to stay there long enough to wait for the return to the Euroleague.

– Why, then, did you leave Avtodor as soon as the Saratov team was withdrawn from European competition?

– It was the proposal of the president of the club, Vladimir Rodionov. When we were taken out of the FIBA ​​Europe Cup, players started leaving the team. I wanted to stay, Rodionov offered to find a mutually beneficial solution, the contract allowed me to do this. Perhaps it was more profitable for the club to keep part of the budget and rely on the Russians.

– They say you agreed with CSKA almost in 15 minutes.

“Well, it’s still not that fast, that’s an exaggeration. However, the negotiations didn’t really last long.

— What are your first impressions of the club and the team?

– Meeting with President and Vice President, staff, coaching staff. The high organization of all club processes caught my attention. European, I would say. And absolutely everyone speaks English. I haven’t met the team yet, the players are on vacation, but I’ve already spoken to almost everyone on the phone.

– What do you think is CSKA’s main objective this season?

– Of course, without the Euroleague, the season will be specific. First, you need to focus on building a new team. Second, on the progress of the players, mostly Russian. They will have to grow enough to be an important part of CSKA of the future. The team that will return to European basketball is no less strong than it was.

The next goal, of course, is to win. CSKA is a club with a history and legendary titles. It may seem odd that I haven’t put winning at the top of my list of priorities, but laying the groundwork by raising top Russians is really more important right now.

– Are there players at CSKA whose abilities you don’t know?

– Maybe only Ruzhentsev, who played in the USA and Serbia. I know everyone well because I worked for the VTB United League for four years.

— Grigonis, Bolomboy and Voigtmann seem to have found new teams. And the pangos?

“I don’t know, more focused on the new line-up than on those who have to leave. The club’s management, I’m sure, will understand. In terms of the game, I’m not too worried either, in this position we have Ware.

– At the moment, Davidovac, Ruzhentsev, Astapkovich, Karpenko and Komolov can be considered CSKA replenishment. Will there be other transfers at the entrance?

We are waiting for it and working on it. I would even say 24 hours a day.

— How many new arrivals are expected?

– Let’s see. Right now, I’m ready to talk about one or two acquisitions. It is very likely that we will not start the season with the maximum number of foreign players in the squad. First, let’s give the Russians a chance to prove themselves. Let them feel their role and responsibility, show what they are capable of and what they can be capable of in the future. If we understand that this is not enough for the construction of CSKA, we will step up. The season is long, it’s time to make decisions.

— supervisors already finished?

“Excluding, perhaps, part of the medical staff. According to the coaches, more or less clarity.

– The idea of ​​pre-season training camps in Serbia has been expressed. Is it doable?

“We need a little more time to decide. There are several options in Serbia and Turkey, the problem is being solved. In any case, we will need an exit, a quiet place to work and test matches. From there we will proceed.

– I don’t know how appropriate this question is: were you born in Skopje and at the same time an ethical Macedonian?

– And here. The capital of the country is a beautiful city. Of the half million inhabitants, the majority are Macedonians, about 20% are Muslim Albanians, there are also Serbs, Croats, Montenegrins. In this sense, Skopje is Belgrade in miniature. There were periods of transition, where things got a little complicated in the former Yugoslavia, but then democracy took over.

— Macedonians are calm and friendly, the country is developing, investors are coming, life is improving. Have you been to Orchid Lake? Magical place. The deepest and oldest reservoir in the Balkans, a UNESCO heritage site, unique flora and fauna. These places are closely related to Cyril and Methodius, who created the Slavic alphabet and the Cyrillic alphabet, near Orchid there are several hundred ancient churches. Macedonians and Russians have a lot in common in this sense.