Crvena Zvezda has embarked on a journey to Cyprus, where they will play their final preparation matches before the start of the new basketball season.
The Red and Whites are traveling to this tournament without the slightly injured Shabazz Napier and Miloš Teodosic, who will be ready for the start of the season. However, they are bolstered by Mike Tobey and Dejan Davidovac, who rejoined the team on Monday after a brief break due to national team commitments.
Their first match in the tournament will be against Maccabi, scheduled for Friday at 6:00 PM local time, followed by a clash with Zalgiris on Saturday at 3:45 PM local time.
Košarkaši Crvene zvezde Meridianbet otputovali su u četvrtak u ranim jutarnjim časovima na Kipar gde ih u petak i subotu očekuju dve jake provere pred start nove sezone.
— KK Crvena zvezda Meridianbet (@kkcrvenazvezda) September 21, 2023
Prvi meč na turniru crveno-beli igraju u petak od 18 sati protiv ekipe Makabija, dok će rival u subotu u… pic.twitter.com/XZS1KpH6Ib
Ahead of these two challenging tests, Crvena Zvezda player Rokas Gedraitis expressed optimism within the team.
“Above all, I expect fierce competition and tough games in Cyprus. Secondly, it’s excellent preparation for the season, especially for us ‘newcomers’ to get to know each other on the court and build chemistry. In every sense, a tournament like this is a great thing for the team. We are optimistic,” said Gedraitis.
The Lithuanian also commented on the additions in the form of recovered teammates.
“For now, everything looks good. Of course, it takes time because some players arrived earlier, and some joined later. But we have enough time before the start of the season to prepare, and these tests help us in that regard.”
Crvena Zvezda will return from Cyprus to Belgrade on Sunday. The entire team and coaching staff are preparing for the Media Day of the EuroLeague, which will take place on Tuesday at the Aleksandar Nikolic Hall. The first competitive match for the Red and Whites will be against Igokea in Laktasi.