Cedevita Olimpija start preparing for new season

Without Jaka Blažič, Zoran Dragić, Gregor Glas and Justus Hollatz, all of which will play at the forthcoming FIBA World Cup, the senior team of Cedevita Olimpija has gathered for the first time ahead of the new season in the small Stožice Hall. The Dragons will again play in the AdmiralBet ABA League, BKT EuroCup, Slovenian National Championship and Slovenian National Cup, as well as both Slovenian and ABA Super Cup.

In the first practice ahead of the 2023/24 season, the head coach of Ljubljana squad Simone Pianigiani has greeted Sean Armand, Amadou Sow, Rok Radović, Justin Cobbs, Karlo Matković, Shawn Jones, Luka Ščuka, Alexander Shashkov and Mert Akay. The later has been a part of the senior squad last season, but had to deal with the recovery following injury and now he is ready for new challenges.

In the forthcoming season, Saša Ciani will not be part of Cedevita Olimpija, as he will move to the United States of America, to study. Lon Ličan, Luka Šmitran, Alej Kump, Vukašin Todorović and Filip Horvat will join the senior team, all of which are the young prospects of Cedevita Olimpija. Damian Kruzynski will join the training camp for its first stage, but will most likely spend the season at one of the Slovenian clubs as a player on loan.

Edo Murić, who is undergoing rehabilitation following knee injury has greeted his teammates in first practice. Former Slovenia National Team member Jaka Klobučar will also join the team for the first stage of the training camp, a player, who used to wear Union Olimpija jersey on two occasions before, between 2008 and 2010 and in 2011.

As he gathered his players for the first time in this preseason, new Cedevita Olimpija head coach Simone Pianigiani told: “The first day of the preseason is just like the first day of school. After composing the team throughout the summer, we can close ourselves in the hall, which is what we enjoy the most. There is a long process ahead of us, since the team is practically brand new. Ahead of us is a tough season with a tough schedule. We are still missing a couple of players, since they are a part of their national teams. There is a positive energy all around and that is what we need in these times, since the team is new and there is lots of tough work. If you work hard and if we all strive to the same goals, the results will come. All players are motivated, since they want to make a step forward in their careers. Our task is to work day by day and see how we develop.”

This summer, Cedevita Olimpija players will play five preseason games. Four of them will be played behind closed doors, while the game against Panathinaikos, which is scheduled for 7 September 17.30, will be played live in Stožice Arena, in front of packed stands.

--------------------

Začetek priprav Cedevita Olimpije na novo sezono

Članska ekipa Cedevite Olimpije se je v nekoliko okrnjeni zasedbi v ponedeljek prvič zbrala v stoženski dvorani in začela s pripravami na novo tekmovalno sezono 2023/24.

Brez Jake Blažiča, Zorana Dragića, Gregorja Glasa in Justusa Hollatza, vse čaka nastop na prihajajočem svetovnem prvenstvu, se je članska ekipa Cedevite Olimpije v ponedeljek prvič zbrala v mali stoženski dvorani in začela s pripravami na novo tekmovalno sezono 2023/24. Zmaje vnovič čakajo boji v AdmiralBet Ligi ABA, Superpokalu Lige ABA, BKT EuroCupu, Ligi Nova KBM, Pokalu Spar in slovenskem Superpokalu, v tekmovanjih pod okriljem Košarkarske zveze Slovenije pa bo ljubljanski klub branil vse tri lovorike.

Na prvem treningu je glavni trener Zmajev Simone Pianigiani pozdravil Seana Armanda, Amadoua Sowa, Roka Radovića, Justina Cobbsa, Karla Matkovića, Shawna Jonesa, Luko Ščuko, Aleksandra Šaškova in Merta Akaya. Slednji je bil del ustroja članske ekipe že v minuli sezoni, ki pa jo je posvetil sanaciji poškodbe in zato ni bil pripravljen na napore tekem in skupnih treningov, zdaj pa je pripravljen na nove izzive.

V novi sezoni v dresu Zmajev ne bomo spremljali Saše Cianija, ki bo prihajajočo sezono posvetil izobraževanju v Združenih državah Amerike. Na treningih se bodo članski ekipi pridružili tudi Lon Ličan, Luka Šmitran, Alej Kump, Vukašin Todorović in Filip Horvat, vseh pet pa predstavlja mlade upe Cedevite Olimpije. Od mladih in nadarjenih igralcev bo prvi del priprav prisoten še Damian Kruzynski, ki pa bo sezono najverjetneje preživel v enem izmed slovenskih klub kot posojeni igralec Cedevite Olimpije.

Na uvodnem treningu sezone je svoje soigralce pozdravil tudi Edo Murić, ki poletne dni posveča rehabilitaciji po poškodbe sprednje križne vezi desnega kolena. Zmajem se bo v uvodnem delu priprav pridružil tudi nekdanji slovenski reprezentant Jaka Klobučar, ki je dres ljubljanskega kluba nosil med letoma 2008 in 2010 ter leta 2011.

Simone Pianigiani, novi trener Cedevita Olimpije je ob otvoritvi priprav dejal: “Prvi dan priprav je kot prvi šolski dan. Po celoletnem poletnem kadrovanju se lahko zapremo v dvorano, kar imamo vsi najraje. Čaka nas dolg proces, saj je ekipa praktično v celoti prenovljena. Pred nami je zahtevna sezona z zahtevnim razporedom. Nekaj fantov še manjka, saj so del reprezentanc. Vse naokrog je pozitivna energija in to je tisto, kar potrebujemo v teh časih, saj je ekipa prenovljena, čaka pa nas kar nekaj zahtevnega dela. Če trdo delaš in vsi stermimo k istim ciljem, pridejo tudi rezultati. Vsi fante so motivirani, vsi želijo napraviti korak naprej v svoji karieri. Naša naloga je, da dan za dnem delamo, in vidimo, kako se razvijamo.”

V letošnjem poletju bodo košarkarji Cedevite Olimpije v okviru priprav na novo tekmovalno sezono 2023/24 odigrali pet pripravljalnih tekem. Štiri bodo za javnost zaprte, obračun s slovitim Panathinaikosom, ki bo v četrtek, 7. septembra, ob 17.30 pa si bodo vsi športni navdušenci lahko ogledali v živo v Areni Stožice.