Just one week before the season kicks off in Le Mans with the Coupe de France, AS Monaco Basket has ended its friendly matches phase. After six straight victories, the Roca Team lost for the first time on Sunday in an outing against Unics Kazan (64-71). The record remains positive for coach Sasa Obradovic who spoke to the press on Tuesday.
The Roca Boys are back in Monaco! After a grueling friendly tournament in Antalya christened the Gloria Smart Casual Cup, the players found their fans at Gaston-Médecin for an autograph signing session. Arriving in the final on Sunday night against Unics Kazan, J.J. O’Brien’s team-mates played three games in three days. Their loss (64-71) ended up serving as a reminder that the Roca squad needs a small rest to recover from this long pre-season physical preparation. They appear ready to take on the season.
Sasa is confident
This Tuesday, in front of many journalists and in the presence of Patrice Cellario, Minister of the Interior of Monaco, the Monegasque coach spoke about the objectives for the season. “Wanting to do better than last season is to win the title,” he said with a smile. “I do not like making big claims but I do not work with small ambitions. I liked the character of my group in training. We will have a more physical team than last season.”
At this good-natured conference, Captain Dee Bost, Kim Tillie and J.J. O’Brien took the floor. For the trio, no doubt the team is ready to resume the season. While waiting for the first day of the championship on September 21st (6:30 pm) at home against BCM Gravelines, La Roca Team will travel to Le Mans for the Coupe de France, next Tuesday. The players are looking forward to it!
*Article originally published in the French edition of the Monaco Tribune.