The EuroCup is kicking off, and PAOK is embarking on a campaign that will last the entire season, with the “Black-and-Whites” aiming to reach the top.
The “Double-Headed Eagle of the North” kicks off its campaign against Manresa in the tournament’s opener (September 30, 7:30 p.m.), with Andreas Trinchieri’s team being the clear favorite against the Spanish side.
ΣΧΕΤΙΚΑ ΑΡΘΡΑ
PAOK is coming off an amazing month of preseason, with the “black-and-whites” defeating two EuroLeague teams, Armani Milan (77-89) and Partizan (99-100), while they stole the show in the Greek Super Cup.
There, PAOK decisively defeated Panathinaikos in the semifinal, 84-82, and in the final, they pushed Olympiacos to the limit before ultimately losing 101-96.
The presence of top-tier players such as Kalathis, Osman, Alexander, and Tairi is generating great excitement and anticipation for what’s to come this season. For this reason, PAOK fans snapped up all available tickets, marking the first sellout of the season.
On the other side, the season has gotten off to a rocky start for Manresa, which lost its Spanish league opener by 100 points (107–92). Overall, the Catalans are looking to bounce back, hoping to put last year’s mediocre season behind them—a season in which they finished 10th in the standings and missed the ACB playoffs.
As if that weren’t enough, Manresa’s first European trip of the season was fraught with difficulties, as the Spanish team faced a major delay at Barcelona Airport, with their flight to Athens being delayed for several hours.
As a result, Manresa missed their connecting flight to Thessaloniki, which meant they had to spend the night in Athens and consequently missed the morning practice scheduled for game day.
*photo source: KYPE
