Presenting the Final Four participants, Dabrowa Górnicza first with a chance for back-to-back

No team in the history of the Alpe Adria Cup has managed to defend its title. Dabrowa Górnicza wants to break this streak in Kapfenberg, but first Olomoucko is in their way in the semi-finals. The winner of Group A, led by coach Boris Balibrea, wants to play the good basketball at the Final Four that has brought them success so far.

– You are part of the Final Four of the Alpe Adria Cup. How do you feel about the fact that you managed to get through the group stage?

„We are very proud of the fact that we could handle it all the way to the Final Four. It was one of our goals at the beginning of the season, and we should be happy about it. It’s been some tough moments with injuries and a very tied schedule between Alpe Adria Cup and the domestic league, but the way the team and the club handled it makes us here.“

– How do you evaluate your performance in the Alpe Adria Cup so far?

„I think we did a solid job. We did play good basketball, and we grew up during the competition. It is a big challenge to face different teams from different countries with their own basketball identities and still manage to win those games and end up first in our group stage.“

– In what way and how does this international confrontation help you, for example, towards domestic competitions?

„One of the most important things is that we could give more minutes and opportunities to some of our players, which helped us build confidence for our domestic league and build a deeper rotation (which was one of our goals for the season). At the same time, it helped us grow up and get more mature, and since we were almost a new roster, it’s been great to have more games to get to know each other and build our philosophy.“

– With what ambitions and goals are you going to the Final Four?

„First of all, we want to play our game. This is something we have been working on all season. We want to play good basketball, since we believe that by doing this, we’ll win games. One of the keys to our season is that we don’t try to look further than our next game, so we have full respect for Olomoucko, and we are all in for the semifinals. We take one game at a time, but I can’t lie if I don’t say that we believe in ourselves, and we come to Austria to win the Final Four.“

– What can you already say about your semi-final opponent?

„Olomoucko is a team that had great competition in the Alpe Adria Cup, but they’ve struggling in their domestic league. That makes them extremely dangerous, especially in one game. Everything can happen. They have a lot of talent, and they’re very good at one-on-one situations. They try to play at a fast tempo, and their 3-point shooting is very effective for them, created mostly by one-on-one situations.“

– From your point of view, what determines success at such events?

„The mental part is crucial. As I said, you can’t see further than the next 40 minutes. That’s why the beginning of the game will be crucial. The way we jump onto the court must be according to what we are playing for. We have to follow the game plan for 40 minutes and play harder than everyone else. Trying to have a deep rotation will help a lot.“