Starting from the favorite!

Our team starts EuroLeague season by going to Barcelona shorthanded.

Pre-game breakdown

The Catalan club is one of the season’s favorites. The opponents were effective in the summer by making several key moves. It all started from the coaching change: Svetislav Pesic was replaced by Sarunas Jasikevicius. The most important transfer was an acquisition of Nick Calathes, the EuroLeague’s assist leader. At the same time, veteran players Ante Tomic and Malcolm Delaney has left the club.

The Army Men took a charter flight to Barcelona because there are still no regular flights from Russia to the European Union.

12 players boarded the plane. Nikola Milutinov (illness) and Janis Strelnieks (hip muscle) stayed at home.

Pre-game quotes

Dimitris Itoudis, CSKA head coach

We need to bounce back regarding our performance. In our last VTB League game [against Parma] our performance was great but in last 6 minutes it was not so, and in 3 minutes it was a disaster. So we need to be consistent. Bartcelona is a really good team, they play at home, they are really motivated, so we are looking forward to play this game.

Joel Bolomboy, CSKA center:

It’s definitely been a long time since everyone played so we are excited to get back out there and play EuroLeague game. Season is going with everything that’s going on in the world. We are putting in a lot of work up to this point. We know we are playing against a really good team that’s really well-coached. We are prepared to go there and give our 100 percent.

“Relativity” connections

It will also feature a coaching duel between Sarunas Jasikevicius and Dimitris Itoudis, who twice before worked together at Panathinaikos as a player and an assistant coach.

Barcelona swingman Cory Higgins played for CSKA for four years – his first four in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. He helped CSKA win two titles, in 2016 and 2019.

Barcelona point guard Thomas Heurtel and CSKA forward Tornike Shengelia were teammates at Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz.

CSKA big man Johannes Voigtmann and Adam Hanga of FC Barcelona were teammates at Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz during the 2016-17 season.

CSKA’s Mike James was a teammate of Barcelona’s Adam Hanga at Baskonia during the 2015-16 season. They reached the 2016 Final Four together.

James and Barcelona point guard Thomas Heurtel were briefly teammates at Baskonia in December 2014.

Barcelona forward Adam Hanga and CSKA forward Tornike Shengelia were teammates at Baskonia for two seasons, from 2015 to 2017. Together they helped the team reach the 2016 Final Four.

Barcelona’s Victor Claver and Shengelia were teammates at Valencia Basket from 2008 to 2010. They won the 2010 EuroCup together.

Important numbers

Past matchups

Win-loss record: 20-15
Game of 2019-20 EuroLeague season
Barcelona – CSKA: 67-96 (+29)
CSKA – Barcelona: 80-82 (-2)

Short dossier

Barcelona, Spain
Founded: 1926
Colors: balaustine, violet, gold
Home court: Palau Blaugrana (8,250)
President: Josep Maria Bartomeu
Head coach: Sarunas Jasikevicius
Website: www.fcbarcelona.cat
Trophy case:
- 2-time Euroleague champion (2003, 2010);
- 2-time Saporta Cup winner (1985, 1986);
- 2-time Korac Cup winner (1987, 1999);
- 18-time Spanish champion (1959, 1981, 1983, 1987, 1988, 1989, 1990, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1999, 2001, 2003, 2004, 2009, 2011, 2012, 2014);
- 25-time Copa Del Rey winner (1943, 1945, 1946, 1947, 1949, 1950, 1959, 1978, 1979, 1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1987, 1988, 1991, 1994, 2001, 2003, 2007, 2010, 2011, 2013, 2018, 2019)
- 6-time Spanish Supercup winner (1988, 2004, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2015)