At the press conference before the start of the season, the president of Buducnost Volija Dragan Bokan ambitiously said:
- The plan is not to finish on the first step of the playoffs after the group stage, but to be first or second, which would guarantee us the quarter-finals and the home floor to achieve the greatest success when it comes to this competition - placement in the semi-finals.
It turned out that the ambitions were exaggerated, because not only did the "blues" not reach the semi-finals, but they will not even be among the 12 best teams in the second-highest European competition (perhaps even the third, because it does not seem that the FIBA Champions League is weaker). All hopes were dashed last night, as Turk Telekom defeated Sljonsk in Wroclaw (86:70) and definitively knocked Budućnost out of the game for 6th place in Group B.
That the Polish team registered only the third victory this season, and the seventh since the competition year 2021/2022. when he returned to the Eurocup, the team Andrej Žakelj tonight (19:XNUMX) against the current champion of Gran Canaria, would look for a victory for the round of XNUMX.
Now he can play unburdened and with a possible victory spoil someone's plans - Granka for a possible 2nd place (she also needs a defeat of Cluj away against Litkabelis) and a direct placement in the quarterfinals, or Trenta for the round of XNUMX. If Buducnost loses, Trento would knock the team from Ankara out of the game with a triumph over carefree Aris in Thessaloniki...
The last time the "Blues" finished the season in the group stage of the Eurocup was four years ago, when they had three victories in a group with Unikah, Galatasaray, Oldenburg, Trento and Gdynia and finished in 5th place.
In the meantime, the format of the Eurocup competition has changed, and this season Budućnost Voli recorded six out of seven victories against the teams below it in the table - they defeated Trento, Litkabelis and Sljonsk twice each, and once the group leader, Burg.
They will regret in Podgorica because of the narrow defeats against Turk Telekom, Aris both times, against Cluj in "Morača", when Žakel's boys had a 15-point difference...
If the battle has already been lost on one front, they are doing well on the other - two days ago, in the derby of the 19th round of the AdmiralBet ABA League, Podgorica played their best game of the season and defeated Crvena Zvezda more convincingly than ever - 84:62. Only the second victory in the 12th clash with Gran Canaria would further boost the confidence of the team that was alone in the 2nd place of the regional competition.
- I want the boys to show approach, energy and focus like in the last matches. That is important in every game. I demand the maximum approach from the players - said Žakelj.
Buducnost also has a motive for a rematch, because it lost 97:70 in Las Palmas.
- It will be very difficult, Gran Canaria also beat Real Madrid. He plays great, with a lot of three-point shots. It was well managed, it will certainly be a tough game. We have to show what we know - said the Slovenian coach, who will collide with a compatriot from the bench of Granka. Jakom Lakovič.
Interestingly, Budućnost experienced one of the heaviest defeats in the Eurocup against a team from the Canary Islands last year - on November 29, with minus 27, they tied for 2nd place with Valencia (103:76) from January 2022 (the record still holds duel with Gravelina from November 2004 - 108:75), and on March 21, she experienced the most difficult in "Morača" (94:69).
- We will do our best, we have nothing to lose. I expect us to go out on the field and fight for all 40 minutes - he said Yogi Ferel.
Bonus video:
