Alberto Diaz and Nihad Djedovic, players of Unicaja Malaga, spoke ahead of the start of the Liga Endesa new season about the team’s goals.
First, the Spaniard spoke, emphasizing that the team is currently in good shape and that it is evident that Endesa League rivals now respect the team from Andalusia more.
“Our rivals now show us more respect; they see us as they did a few years ago, considering Unicaja a team to beat. We are a team that opponents fear, and if they see us that way, it’s a good sign. Expectations are much higher, and we are aware of that. The preparations have been challenging. We have more pressure now. We are happy where we are, but we want more. What we achieved last year was very good; it will be tough to replicate” – Diaz began.
Then he reflected on the first game of the season. They will be playing against Tenerife, and the Spanish national team representative had no shortage of praise for that team.
“That’s a team we know well. They made good transfers. They kept their core, and I think they will be a direct rival once again. They know each other very well and always give us big problems. They’ve changed a few players. I haven’t paid attention to other teams, I haven’t been informed about the transfers any team made because in the Endesa League, you can’t make predictions. We just have to focus on ourselves; that’s what we need to concentrate on” – concluded the young man born in Malaga.
“It’s a sign that teams respect us”
Bosnian-Herzegovinian player Nihad Djedovic, who will be playing his second season in the green jersey of the Andalusian team, then spoke. First, he talked about the team and the Super Cup final they lost to Real Madrid.
“We were close to winning the final, but we had problems with playmakers and centers. We had good preparations, played very well, and we are already very focused on a good start to the Endesa League. We know expectations are high, we work every day, and it’s clear that last year was fantastic, and we’ll try to surpass it. We see that many coaches say we have a team for the EuroLeague and praise our players. It’s a sign that teams respect us” – concluded the young man from Visegrad.