Final Four, we missed you!
Our team headed to St. Petersburg for the WINLINE Basket Cup Final Four...
Important games again
Of course, the new tournament hasn't yet reached the level of the Euroleague, so the Army Men weren't rushing to travel to the venue. However, they prepared very seriously. The team may have missed a practice in St. Petersburg on Thursday, but at home, at Megasport, they worked hard and with full strength.
Yes, the red-blues accomplished all their goals in the VTB League regular season, but fortunately, that happened this week, so the team didn't have time to switch to finishing mode – it's important to arrive at the Final Four with the right rhythm and energy.
"We know and understand the level of our opponent," notes CSKA head coach Andreas Pistiolis. "It will be an exciting game to play. We'll need all our focus, energy, and motivation to achieve the desired result."
Against a third coach
It's rare to face the same team under different coaches. Zenit has experienced several coaching changes this year, with Aleksandar Sekulic and Rostislav Vergun leading the team against CSKA, and now Dejan Radonjić will be at the helm.
The blue-white-sky blues' journey through the tournament has been a challenging one. They literally jumped on the last train to the Final Four, defeating UNICS on the road in the final round. In the Cup, the St. Petersburg team is literally being carried by players signed during the season - Xavier Moon (30 points in total in two games), Johnny Juzeng (13 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists in a single game) and Luka Šamanić (12.3 points, 6.0 rebounds), plus the usual leader Trent Frasier (13.8 points, 3.4 assists).
Past matchups
Wins-losses: 46-22 (5-0 in EuroLeague, 18-0 against Triumph Lyubertsy)
Game of the 2025-26 VTB United League season:
12-Oct-2025. Zenit - CSKA: 84-85 (+1)
23-Nov-2025. CSKA - Zenit: 93-88 (+5)
24-Jan-2026. CSKA - Zenit: 93-90 (+3)
Brief dossier
Zenit St.Petersburg, Russia
Founded: 2014
Colors: dark-blue, white, light-blue
Homecourt: KSK Arena (7,120)
CEO: Alexander Tserkovny
Head coach: Dejan Radonjic
Website: bc-zenit.com
Trophy case: VTB United League Champion (2022), Russian Champion (2022), 5-time VTB United League bronze medalist (2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2024), 5-time Russian Championship bronze medalist (2016, 2017, 2018, 2021, 2024), Russian Cup Winner (2024)
