By Lefteris Moutis/ moutis@eurohoops.net
CSKA has the option to automatically renew Jonas Kazlauskas’ contract for the next season. The current agreement between the two parts contains a renewal option for the 2012-13 period, but the champions and Cup winners of Russia and champions of VTB League must activate it by the end of the month.
Few hours remain to the expiration date of the specific option and according to sources of Eurohoops.net at the Russian capital, the club’s decision is not to continue with the Lithuanian coach and sign one of the best Europeans in order to ascend again to the top of European basketball.
CSKA won the Euroleague for the last time in the Final Four of Madrid in 2008 and Kazlauskas seems to be paying the price of the collapse and the shocking defeat in the final at Istanbul against Olympiacos. His successor will be a big name. Ettore Messina, who won the trophy twice with CSKA (2006, 2008) and participated in four Euroleague finals with them, is high on the list, but his family doesn’t like the idea of returning to Russia.