Ness Ziona are excited for the European Cup Final 4 • Greenberg: "Doing something for Israeli basketball" • Tapiro: "We do not want to be a cute little team" • Tal Dan injured his hand ("Do not want to miss a game like this")
Tapiro, Greenberg and Dan
Photo:
Danny Maron
Urbani Ness Ziona held a press conference today (Tuesday) with the participation of professional director Meir Tapiro, coach Brad Greenberg and captain Tal Dan ahead of the European Cup semifinals to be held on Friday at Menora Mivtachim Hall (15:00) where she will meet Russian Pharma.
Team coach
Brad Greenberg
: "We are just starting to learn about Parma, they are a high, disciplined team, very aggressive. It will be a big challenge, they can play in very good teams, we have been playing well lately and it is encouraging. We are playing well in the European Cup and I hope it continues We've got a good contribution from a lot of players in the last few games. We play against a very balanced team, 9-10 players who play 22-23 minutes per game, so we have to deal with it with more than four to five players.
"We will not come just to perform. We have our advantages, we will have to play well and run. We have an advantage of speed, we will try to use it. We will have to know how to stop them. When we manage to save and make teams miss, we have a chance to reach an open field. Playing a standing game, is harder for us.
"I'm excited for players who've been here for a decade and have given their heart to the club. It's an achievement and I'm proud of my team, I've been here 6-8 months, I do not feel what Thal feels. I just can not. I have not bled for the club for so long. I do not feel like Yaniv, like Meir who still played for the club. They feel different. We do something for Israeli basketball and Ness Ziona.
"It's strange to play all season in front of empty stands and suddenly there is noise in the hall. It will be nice. We are grateful that the games will be here in Israel, it makes it more special for the players."
Tal Dan,
who was injured in the hand and the medical team is working to prepare him for the game, added: "A holiday for Ness Ziona, our city, a great experience and great fun to host the Final Four in Tel Aviv. We expect a lot of spectators to make us feel at home. Hope and believe I can play on Friday.I am very optimistic, want to help the team succeed, I do not want to miss a game like this.
"It's one world and an unusual experience to host the Final Four in Tel Aviv, it will give us security and a homely feeling. Credit really goes to everyone who worked to bring the Final Four to Tel Aviv."
Meir Tapiro
: "This is a club that strives to be big, growing from year to year, both in the audience and in the community. Without the Basketball Association and the Ministry of Sports we could not have hosted it. Thank them, it is very important that more Israeli basketball teams come to these places. And for Israeli basketball in general, we are happy to be in the third year of the European Cup, to take part in a significant event in European basketball is a great achievement for Ness Ziona.
When you want to build a tradition you want to be the best team you can be. There are many teams in Israeli basketball that started with fewer fans from Ness Ziona, fewer subscribers, we have a very large youth department and a large community behind us. We went into this factory to create a tradition. Everything was in the mind and with the budgets, this is not an adventure that will hurt us in the years to come. The league manager who helps teams that play in Europe, deserves their nose. We want to build something, and hope that the mayor will push even harder than he has been pushing so far, I think he is not pushing enough, for us as a club to be at an event like this it puts us in line with the big clubs of Israeli basketball. We do not want to be a cute little group. "
