It's time for the future, said the head of the largest Montenegrin basketball club, Draga Bokan.
Future with a capital or lowercase letter - it doesn't matter, the message is the same.
At the traditional event called "Blue Night", the people of Podgorica presented the team for the new season. They also presented a lot more - goals, vision, sponsors, jerseys...
And the goal of the Future is - victories, trophies...
"We are starting a new season and entering it with great ambitions and enormous energy. The future of Voli is not just a club - it is a team that breathes as one, it is a hall that pulsates to the rhythm of the fans, it is a community of people who believe that together we can achieve the greatest results. Our players are ready. This is a team that has the strength to inspire, the talent to surprise and the heart to fight until the last moment. This season will be an opportunity to show how much work, discipline and faith in victory are worth - said Dragan Bokan.
The team that was close to winning the ABA League championship title last season (it was cost by a magical loss in the first match of the final series against Partizan in Podgorica) will be stronger with several foreigners.
During the summer, playmaker Oleksandr Kovliar arrived, followed by Axel Butey (wing), Jerry Frank Butsiel (center), Skylar Mays (guard) and James Thomson (center).
How coach Anrej Žakelj has arranged the pieces could be revealed as early as next week, when the Eurocup starts, or on October 5th, when the new ABA League season begins.
The season is, of course, long - and it will be much more significant where the "blues" will be in May next year than now, in early autumn.
The "blues" open the regional competition on October 5th with a duel with Spartak in Subotica, and three days earlier they will play away to the London Lions in the Eurocup.
In addition to the club's numerous sponsors and friends, Bokan also thanked the state and local government.
"A big thank you to Mr. Milojko Spajić, Prime Minister of Montenegro, for his support and understanding of the importance of sports for our country. I would like to especially greet the first man of the Capital City, Saša Mujović, and thank him for recognizing the value of Buducnost and supporting our sports success story," he said.
He also thanked the fans, the media...
"Our goal is clear - victories, trophies and new history. But what motivates us the most is the sense of togetherness. Every basket, every rebound, every victory belongs to all of you. The new season is upon us. It is time to be louder, braver and stronger than ever. It is time to show what it means to wear the blue jersey. It is time for the Future. I wish all team members and the coaching staff a great season that will be remembered for fair play, top results and matches that will be talked about for a long time and with pride, which will remain inscribed in our hearts and memories. Together - players, partners, fans and friends - we are writing a new page of our story. We are going into the season with faith, with energy and with the goal of being the best, to be the inspiration and pride of our city and our country. The future is one, in our hearts the only one," Bokan quoted the fan song for the end.
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