OMM Newsroom
Neftchi head coach Kostas Vasiliadis said Azerbaijani basketball players need to train more and have greater opportunities to prove themselves in games if they are to attract attention in Europe. The Greek coach made the comments at a news conference after Neftchi lost 110-94 to VEF in the FIBA Europe Cup.
Vasiliadis said that at age 16 he attended several training sessions a day, which helped him develop as a player and build confidence. He said his coach gave him five minutes of playing time when he was young, 15 minutes the following season and 20-25 minutes at age 18. The Neftchi coach said young local players should also be given the chance to make mistakes and gain experience on the court.
Training facilities and game experience
The Neftchi coach said the team faced problems with access to a gym and was unable to train on some days because of holidays. He stressed that Azerbaijani basketball players should spend more time in sports halls from an early age.
Vasiliadis said Azerbaijani players were talented and that he was ready to help them move to foreign clubs. However, he said the young players in his team had not yet fully adapted to the work ethic he expected. “If you train, you will play,” he said.
