“After intensive summer work, the budget is planned to be similar to the previous season, close to 1.7 million euros. A large part is made up of participation in the FIBA Champions League. We tried to keep the budget for the players exactly the same,” said Jahovičs.
As the president of the club stated, the composition of the team for the upcoming season has proceeded successfully. There were existing contracts with both some experienced and some new players. Two former players of the Ukrainian club Slobojansk “Prometey” have also been recruited, and the team has found suitable American players and several youth national team players have also been recruited.
“The line-up is interesting, and the basketball we will show will be quite aggressive and watchable,” Jahovic promised.
Also, the president of the club revealed that, taking into account the busyness of the Olympic Center and the need to adapt to the Latvian-Estonian Basketball League (LIBL) calendar, “VEF Rīga” will play several home games in other Latvian cities, including Daugavpils and Saldus, as well as games could be held in Jelgava and Salaspils .
Jahovič named the club’s goals for the season as winning the LIBL, winning the Latvian Cup, winning the first division tournament of the Latvian Basketball League and reaching the best 16 team phase in the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Champions League.
It has already been reported that Mārtiņš Gulbis became the new head coach of “VEF Rīga” before this season. Meanwhile, Valdis Razumovskis and Alberts Putāns, who ended his career as a player, have joined the team of coaches, who will be the physical training coach of the unit in the future.
“VEF Rīga” will start the season on Saturday in “Arena Rīga”, in the battle of Latvian-Estonian Basketball League (LIBL) with “Rīgas zeļliam” in the battle of the finalists of the two Latvian championships of the previous season.
“Vefians” have won five victories in eight test matches. In the last matches in the Baltic Super Cup held in Riga over the weekend, “Fracht” had to lose twice, losing to Vilnius “Wolves” 76:80 in the semifinals, and “Lietkabelis” from Panevėžys 66:91 in the fight for third place.
“VEF Rīga” triumphed in the Latvian championship last season, got bronze medals in the LIBL, but did not get out of the group in the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) Champions League.
2024-09-18 20:26:28