CSKA in Turkey

CSKA came to Istanbul for the game of the 3rd day of Top 16 with the Aeroflot flight that was scheduled to depart from Moscow at 11.50. But it took the plane 20 minutes more than it was expected to arrive at Istanbul airport. But this delay did not break CSKA schedule.

CSKA history this season is just 16 games in the Euroleague. But as soon as the team got to Turkey most everyone remembered that the road to Top 16 started in this country and CSKA played its first game together just in the same hall. ‘Do you remember how we drank coffee in this hotel’ – said the captain of the team Eugeny Pashutin. – I can’t imagine it was half of the year ago. It seems like it was yesterday’. The head coach of the team Dusan Ivkovic also remembered some things about CSKA trip to Turkey, but they were not so pleasant. Despite tone of faxes and calls from CSKA office the waiters did not put the tables together in the café where CSKA had lunch. It is amazing but the order chosen by Turkish was just the same like on the October 5th when CSKA had the first lunch on the day before the game.

Cinar hotel used to accommodate CSKA in Istanbul for years. Now the hotel is preparing for summer season. All the floors except the first one are closed. The elevator does not work. That is the reason why there are almost no other visitors except the team. Probably this reason made the general manager of the hotel to send a basket with fruits to all the rooms of CSKA delegation.

After the lunch CSKA had a chance to rest a bit. But almost no one has a chance to sleep because the break between the lunch and video analysis was scheduled like a very short one – just 50 minutes. After the video the team has gone to the practice.

The game day also is going to be traditional. One practice in the morning, lunch, 2-hours rest, video and a game.