Examination by own experience

The Final Four in London started on Thursday at fact. Events and press-conferences were held, the individual trophies distributed, the teams are focused on the semifinals.

Three CSKA players were chosen to the All-Euroleague teams this season. But this time the organizers did not host the traditional gala – the trophies were given away during the opening press-conference. Only the First All-Euroleague Team players and individual trophy winners were invited. The guys from the Second Team were busy with the Euroleague-organized events – Victor Khryapa participated in One Team activity and Milos Teodosic went for the Trophy Tour.

Only First Team player Nenad Krstic accompanied Ettore Messina during the press-conference. Olympiakos was represented by Vasillis Spanoulis who was named the season's MVP.

The ghost of last year's final was following the participants, which is not surprising. “We want to prove that we are the champions not by luck”, Spanoulis said. “What did I learn last year? I learned how to lose a game on a last-second shot,” Krstic said. “For my team and for myself it is just a bad memory, but I can say also I learned how to prepare myself physically and mentally. Because this is such a unique event, you play two games in three days, and you have to be mentally and physically prepared. I think we are ready, we had enough time.”

“I hope all the bad luck went to CSKA last year and this year we just get a little bit of good luck,” Messina said. "We need to show that we are mature, we are looking ahead and we will see on the floor tomorrow.”

The team also practiced on O2 Arena in the evening for the first time. But the long trips their made the coaches of both CSKA and Olympiakos to cancel the morning shootarounds.