OMM Newsroom
Neftchi basketball club claimed its first victory in the FIBA Europe Cup group stage, beating Greek team Mykonos 84-80 at home in Baku.
Head coach Kostas Vasileiadis said after the game that the win held special significance for him. The Greek coach said he had competed in European tournaments at various levels during his playing career, including the European Cup and the Champions League, and was accustomed to experiencing both victories and defeats in such competitions.
“I am happy. Now I am pleased not only for Neftchi but for all of Azerbaijani basketball. Games like this help players develop. The most important thing is for local players to develop alongside the foreign players. As a coach, I am happy to create conditions for Azerbaijani basketball players to improve,” Vasileiadis said.
Asked whether he considered the game Neftchi’s best performance of the current FIBA Europe Cup season, the coach stressed the importance of playing well for all 40 minutes. He said the team started poorly, made mistakes in the final minutes, lacked focus and concentration, and was inaccurate with its passes. Despite this, both he and the players learned a great deal from the game.
