The VTB League General Manager Ilona Korstin in the interview to MozzartSport answered about Partizan NIS and Mega MIS participation in the United League Super Cup.
— How did the League come to the decision to invite Serbian teams to participate in the Super Cup?
— We know Serbian basketball very well, we honor long-standing traditions and respect Serbian players and coaches who have been noted in the VTB League. We all remember Dusan Ivkovic and his contribution to CSKA success. Milos Teodosic is another VTB League legend, a fans’ favourite who is loved for his bright game and deservedly became one of the first members of the VTB League Hall of Fame.
This year we continue to strengthen the traditions that connect the League with Serbian basketball. One of the best centers in Europe Nikola Milutinov plays in CSKA. Zoran Lukic is the Russian national team and Nizhny Novgorod head coach. Serbian players and coaches are appreciated in our country. Moreover, all major Russian teams have worked with Serbian coaches in their youth teams. In Serbia, basketball is more than a sport, like a religion, and we respect and appreciate it very much.
— When did you first contact Serbian teams?
— The League had first contact with representatives of Serbian teams during the Euroleague’s Final Four in Belgrade. We discussed participation in the Super Cup after which the teams received an invitation. It was really difficult to think about all the details, coordinate the schedule and all the logistics. The Serbian teams did not know until the last moment whether they would be able to come, but we tried to organize everything so that they would play in our tournament.
— Have you thought about invitation of other teams to the Super Cup?
— Yes, we consider the Super Cup as an international tournament to make it attractive to fans, as well as to give the missing international experience this season to Russian top teams. We have been negotiating with teams from China, Turkey and Serbia. As a result, Serbian teams had everything worked out with.
— What are your expectations from Partizan, Zeljko Obradovic team?
— Games with Partizan will be really interesting. Basketball fans remember Russian teams’ games against Zeljko Obradovic. I think it will be interesting for fans to watch the Zeljko show – this is a separate performance that deserves attention. He is well known in Russia as a strong specialist who has beaten Russian teams many times in decisive games. Obradovic was one of the main mentors of Dimitris Itoudis, the most winning coach in the history of the League, they worked together in Panathinaikos.
— There were rumours about the invitation of Partizan and Crvena Zvezda to play in the VTB League season. Is it true?
—The VTB League is actively developing, we were recognized as one of the best Leagues in Europe. As they say, competition is the engine of progress. Therefore, we are interested in serious teams with a high sports and marketing component. We have managed to agree with Partizan and Mega to participate in the Super Cup and now we are looking forward to the start of the tournament.
— Since Russian teams will not play in European tournaments next season, what changes will be in the VTB League?
— In the new season, the teams really will not have international games and many League teams this year will focus on the development of their youth teams. As for the League, we have increased the number of games to give teams the necessary game practice. The regular season will be in 2 stages: according to the results of the 1st stage, the teams will be divided into 2 groups, where they will play and eventually determine the 8 best teams that will advance to the playoffs. All this is done to ensure that the fans get more high-quality basketball, and the players have even more opportunities for development.
— The experience of the VTB League will help in the development of other European tournaments. What advice would you give to the Adriatic League as General Manager?
— I follow the Adriatic League games and I can say that the level of competition there is really high. If we talk about the VTB United League, then we always require teams to comply with high sports and marketing standards, which are fixed in the regulations. The main aspects relate to infrastructure, arena, security and guarantees of financial stability. All this is done in order to increase the level of the final product that we offer to the audience. In short, this is how our League works, and I think this is the right way. We have a completely separate product – the All-Star Game, which is one of the brightest basketball events of the season, I’m not ashamed to say it. We are trying to create a big and spectacular show to make basketball even more popular in Russia and attract a new audience.
