CSKA basketball player Nikita Kurbanov told how the change of coach affected the team’s results in the last VTB United League season.
A week before the start of the playoffs, Andreas Pistiolis replaced Emil Rajkovic as head coach. Under Pistiolis’ leadership CSKA won the VTB United League by beating UNICS in the final series (4-1). In May, the coach extended his contract with the Muscovites until the end of the 2025/26 season.
— What Andreas inspired in all of us, in each of the players and in the team atmosphere as a whole, is worth a lot. This factor probably influenced 99% of our result. Of course, against the background of such changes, no one thought that we would reach the final, let alone win. The reshuffle was good for the team. I, Semyon Antonov, Ivan Ukhov, Melo Trimble, Casper Ware, Anton Astapkovich, I know Andreas. Amat played against him in Turkey [Пистиолиса]. He was particularly well-known to the Russians who had come through the Itoudis system, where Andreas was an assistant. We understood the coach’s demands perfectly. We knew his vision of basketball. All we had to do was support him.
We must pay tribute to the whole team – there was no sniffing, even though the coach changed a week before the playoffs. We did not have a single day off before a couple of home matches against Krasnoyarsk, and no one complained about being tired at the end of the season. It happened as it happened. Everyone responded, they were all great professionals. The guys have only great praise for that, “Kurbanov said in the Championship.
Championship
More sports news in our telegram channel .
Source : MatchTV
My name is Adam Jackson and I am an author. I have been writing about Basketball games for over a decade now and am excited to share my knowledge with you all. Additionally, I am also interested in other sports and enjoy discussing them with others. Contact me if you want to discuss any Basketball-related topics!
