By George Orfanakis / info@eurohoops.net
CSKA Moscow begin another year as one of the big favorites of the tournament and with the sole objective to win it.
Last year’s triumph in the Final Four in Berlin brought back Dimitrios Itoudis’s team to the top of Europe, something that had not happened since the 2007/08 season and which exorcised the curse of recent years that saw them reaching the spring but not finding any water.
At the same time, the Russian club has one of the highest budgets in the tournament and counts a total of seven wins. Therefore, the combination of the weighty jersey and the high quality players who wear it seems like an ideal one in order to repeat the successes of the past once again this year.
Signings
In an admittedly full roster, the signings that CSKA had to make this summer were very few and considered. The name that stands out is that of James Augustine with the American forward having experience at the top level (Khimki) and having proved with his appearances that he is a highly reliable option close to the paint.
Aside from him, Semyon Antonov, who is coming from Nizhny, is going to have a complementary role in the forward positions, and Sasha Gavrilov, at 20 years of age, is expected to gain his first important experiences.
Coach
CSKA Moscow are one of the four teams (Barcelona, Panathinaikos, Olympiacos) in the Euroleague that have a Greek coach and that’s none other than Dimitrios Itoudis. The education that he got alongside Zeljko Obradovic on the “green” bench proved beneficial for the 46-year-old coach who is more than qualified to lead his team to the top of Europe.
Despite his young age he has already celebrated winning the Euroleague five times as a coach’s assistant and one time as the main coach, earning a well-deserved place among the best.
They will be satisfied if…
… they pull off the repeat! The word ‘success’ – more than any other – is imprinted in CSKA’s DNA. Any player that joins the club knows that the the sole objective is to win every title at home and abroad since the participation in the Final Four is considered the minimum goal.
We are anxiously waiting to see…
… CSKA’s stars offering some rich spectacle on the courts of the Euroleague. With Nando De Colo and Milos Teodosic having proved that they are currently the best duo in Europe, the Russian team are known for the attractive basketball they present.