Two weeks of travel

Recharged with football

Our team returned from Belgrade after winning the VTB United League SuperCup on Friday evening and had a day off on Saturday. However, most of the players were restless – eight of the 13 (excluding Ivan Zaytsev and Daniil Klyuchenkov, who are working with the youth team) showed up in Krylatskoye, worked in the gym, and with the medical staff. Sunday was a busy day: first, the players, head coach, and president attended a football match and met with fans, after which they headed to Basket Hall for practice. On Monday before the trip, the team also held a preparatory session at the main arena and then traveled to Sheremetyevo.

"This is the season premiere, and it's always important to start off strong," said CSKA head coach Andreas Pistiolis. "We're playing away, and our opponents will be especially motivated to face the reigning champions. We'll prepare to play strongly and convincingly."

Former CSKA players lead the way

After a difficult period last season, plagued by financial problems and uncertainty, Samara appears to have found stability this past summer. The club retained its place in the VTB League and is busy building a new roster – so far, without the addition of foreign players.

The main and rather predictable loss was the departure of prospect Yegor Amosov, who was recently included in Real Madrid's EuroLeague roster. The team's leader remains the same: the now-experienced former CSKA guard Mikhail Kulagin. Another key player for the Volga team will now be Nikita Mikhailovskiy, who came from CSKA. Danila Pokhodyaev, a product of the Red-Blues' youth team, also plays a significant role.

Amid numerous changes, Vladislav Konovalov's team's preseason was not a win-filled one, managing only two victories out of nine games and taking bronze at the Vladimir Rodionov Memorial Tournament in Saratov. Kulagin led the scoring during this period, averaging 17.0 points with a good shooting percentages. Mikhailovskiy added 14.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists.

Past matchups

Wins-losses in VTB League: 8-0

2024-25 VTB League regular season game:

01-Dec-2024. CSKA – Samara: 97-77 (+20)
18-Dec-2024. Samara – CSKA: 63-93 (+30)
05-Feb-2025. Samara – CSKA: 44-102 (+58)
02-Apr-2025. CSKA – Samara: 103-66 (+37)

Brief dossier

BC Samara

Founded: 1976
Colors: blue, white
Homecourt: Vladimir Vysotsky Palace of Sports (5,000)
CEO: Igor Bochkarev
Head coach: Vladislav Konovalov
Website: bcsamara.com
Trophy case: Russian League bronze winners (1996, 97), Superleague 1 champions (2019, 21), Russian Cup winners (2020, 22)