Presenting the Final Four participants, Timisoara goes to play good basketball

Timisoara’s players had the most confident ride through the group stage of the Alpe Adria Cup this season. The ambitious team from Romania, led by coach Dragan Petričević, wants to confirm this game record at the Final Four in Kapfenberg and expand the map of the winners of the competition with a new country.

– 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?

„Well, I can definitely say that we found great competitors in our group. We met different styles of play, different philosophy, and different goals of every coach, but we were focused on managing every game with great attention.“

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

„I just want to say that we treated every game in a very serious way. We are satisfied not just because of the result, we are happy that we were part of the team that set some goals.“

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

„For us, playing in two competitions wasn’t easy to manage. Romania is a large country, and our trips are very long. Traveling to Slovenia, Croatia, and the Czech Republic means another four long trips, but we are grateful for really good cooperation with all teams, so we could find the understanding to move some games one day earlier than scheduled. We really wanted to show respect to the AAC and all its opponents, so we traveled to all games with a full roster. I could manage some players sometimes, but I hardly believe that the respect we earn and the relationships we build playing AAC are also very important, not only in domestic championships.“

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

„My coaching philosophy is very simple: “Maybe we can’t win all the games we play, but definitely we must look like the team that will be respected after every game.” So the answer is simple, that we come to play good basketball.“

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

„Strong team, good coach, great basketball fans, and a club with a long tradition.“

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

„Well, any Final Four is a specific event. It depends on the health of players after Saturday games and their current shape and mental stance. The main favorites are Dabrowa Górnicza and Kapfenberg, but Olomoucko and us don’t come just to see beautiful landscapes, so let’s play.“