By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Andrey Vatunin, president of CSKA Moscow, has conceded an interview with Mozzart Sport, in which he talked about his club’s future and how the Russian team is losing its importance in the European basketball landscape.
“Such crisis events are not good for anyone. Of course, it was difficult for the club, and the income decreased. I can’t say the exact numbers yet. With budget reductions already made and possibly subsequent ones, it is not easy to formulate tasks. To begin with, our ambitions are the same, we want to win every match, even in a difficult situation as it is at the moment. There will be victories and good results”, he said about the current and future sporting and financial status.
Of course, with CSKA Moscow out of the EuroLeague, the prestige of the club has reached its lowest level ever. “Owners and sponsors are in crisis and are not interested in spending big money just to participate in the VTB league – therefore the budget is reduced. We have left the international scene, so CSKA’s role in world basketball is declining”, he commented.
Even though CSKA Moscow is out of the EuroLeague, it continues to be part of shareholders’ meetings. “The club continues to vote on all important decisions as a full shareholder. We are interested in the development of the tournament, even without competitive participation, since the suspension is temporary, sooner or later Russian clubs will play again in Europe. In any case, this is work for the good of basketball, from which absolutely all parties will benefit”, Vatutin said.
Finally, the president of the Russian team talked positively about the new EuroLeague era with Dejan Bodiroga at the helm: “We insisted on these changes as one of the shareholders of the competition, so we are glad that they came about. Dejan was an exceptional player in the past, the face of European basketball, a man who at the end of his career stayed in his favorite sport and did a lot to promote it. We are ready to help his work in every possible way to bring the Euroleague to new sporting and commercial successes”.