Former Chairman of the Board of Directors “Lokomotiv-Kuban” Anatoly Meshcheryakov, in a conversation with a correspondent, noted the increased level of competition in the VTB United League championship and said that the Euroleague, EuroCup and the International Basketball Federation ( FIBA) had lost a lot due to the absence of Russian teams.
— How do you see Loko’s championship prospects this season?
– We always hope for the best. In other words, for the championship. But you just need to set yourself the goal of winning every match. And then the championship will come. After the guys took second place last year, no one is giving up. And everyone is placed in the highest places. And there is already a round ball, a platform…
— How do you like the championship this season?
— It has become more interesting because there are hardly any easy matches anymore. Even with the teams occupying places at the bottom of the table, it has been very difficult for everyone. But it shows that the league is growing, even though we were closed to the international scene. But I think that the Euroleague, Eurocup and FIBA competitions did not gain anything from this, but on the contrary, they lost.
— When will we return to the international scene?
– It does not depend on me. It would be up to me to return it yesterday. Most sports managers think exactly the same thing as me. They say that sport is outside of politics, but here, unfortunately, some political stories are taking place… But I think we should return in the near future,” Meshcheryakov told .
Currently, Lokomotiv is third in the United League standings. Last year, the Krasnodar team became silver medalists in the VTB League.
Russian clubs have been suspended from participation in the Euroleague, Eurocup and Champions League due to the situation in Ukraine since February 2022.
Source : MatchTV
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