Olympiacos has continued its preparations for the upcoming season, and as of Thursday, the entire team is at the disposal of head coach Georgios Bartzokas, including the team’s top star, Sasha Vezenkov.
Sasha Vezenkov missed the start of training camp due to national team duties with Bulgaria in the EuroBasket Pre-Qualifiers, where he put on a fantastic performance in a victory against Romania, finishing with 36 points and nine rebounds.
Olympiacos is building momentum, and this weekend they face a preseason tournament in Crete, which will also feature Crvena Zvezda, Fenerbahce, and Milano.
“It is always the first tournament, and we haven’t had time to get to know each other yet. Crete is a very hospitable place, and we expect the fans to come and see us”, Vezenkov said on the official Olympiacos Instagram channel.
New faces in Piraeus
The red-and-whites were also able to count on newcomer star Jean Montero in training, who arrived in Athens on Wednesday and joined the training camp the very next day.
However, team captain Kostas Papanikolaou will not be in the lineup for the upcoming matches as he is dealing with a knee injury. Additionally, Giannoulis Larentzakis is negotiating a transfer to AEK, which is why he did not travel with the team to Crete.
Olympiacos won both the EuroLeague and the Greek Basket League last season, putting a target on their back heading into the new campaign. Sasha Vezenkov is fully aware of this, and his goal is to defend both titles and maintain the dominance established 12 months ago, emphasizing that they must forget what they accomplished last year.
“We have new goals, and we forget what we did last year. We want to start the friendly games and be completely ready. In reality, we have very little time together. Every year is different, we forget what we did last year, and above all, we need to stay healthy“, added the Bulgarian power forward.
Issues with schedule and injuries
Sasha Vezenkov isn’t the only one who emphasized that the team has limited preparation time. Prior to him, Olympiacos head coach Georgios Bartzokas made the exact same point.
“We don’t have the luxury of picking and choosing. We are going into a crash course to show the new players elements of our tactics. We hope most of them are in good shape. Those who have been here for ten days are at a good level, and as for the other international players, it’s a positive for us that they aren’t injured.
Many teams also face this issue with the schedule, meaning injuries during international games. Naturally, there is some differentiation; some need a bit more rest and recovery during training. There is no time for days off, but we will manage it in collaboration with the team’s staff.”, Bartzokas explained.
Olympiacos preseason schedule
Olympiacos will compete in a tournament in Crete this coming weekend. Their first matchup is scheduled for Friday, September 4, at 20:00 CET, when they face Fenerbahce. The winner of that clash will take on the winner of the Crvena Zvezda vs. Milano game in the final, while the loser will play in the third-place game against the other defeated side. The third-place match is set for Sunday at 17:30, with the final taking place later that day at 20:00.
After completing their duties in Crete, Olympiacos will return to Piraeus to continue their preseason preparations for the campaign starting in late September. Before that, however, another tournament awaits them. The red-and-whites will participate in the inaugural edition of the EuroLeague SuperCup on September 18 and 19, featuring Fenerbahce, Real Madrid, and Dubai alongside them.
