Next week, on Thursday, the Euroleague Final Four will kick off in Belgrade.
If Vladimir Putin and the Russian army had not invaded Ukraine, we would probably have seen in the Serbian capital CSKA Moscow, and in the media Tornika "Toko" Shanglia.
The war is known to have changed everything, and already tonight the Georgian star can register another great achievement - to return Virtus Bologna to the Euroleague factory after 15 years.
. @ Virtusbo reached the EuroCup Finals courtesy of a 73-83 victory over @valenciabasket
Highlights ... #RoadToGreatness pic.twitter.com/2zsHf7zCZh
- 7DAYS EuroCup (@EuroCup) May 4, 2022
The Italians will face the Turkish Bursaspor in the Eurocup final, and as mentioned, winning it comes with a huge bonus - a place in the senior factory in Europe.
Given the fact that Bologna is a better team and also hosts the game, the chances of a happy ending in the Shangalya film for the 2021/2022 season are great.
He - in any case, is already ready for screening on the screen closest to you.
In the summer of 2020, after six great seasons in the Basconia uniform, during which he even became captain, Toko joined CSKA. Even then, long before the current war, his move to Russia was not easy to digest in his homeland. On great patriotism - CSKA was committed to releasing him for every Georgia game, even if the team's games clashed with the Euroleague games (the result of a conflict between FIBA and the Euroleague).
The transfer of Shangalya to CSKA was brilliant, but the truth must be told - his time there was not a dizzying success and included quite a few injuries. And yet, everything progressed there on who rests until last February. The first of the CSKA foreigners to do so - and the Russian group only bothered to mention that he did not impress the media at all.
The dry season is over
Shangalya found itself in a problematic situation, as the transfer window had already closed in the Euroleague, but in the Eurocup the window was still open for a few days, and the Bolognese signed two heavyweights during Bezeq, Shangalya and Daniel Hackett, who also left CSKA.
Virtus, formerly a luxury team and two-time Euroleague champion, went into a long period of drought due to economic problems, and was no longer a factor in European basketball.
For 15 years she has been absent from the Euroleague, but three years ago began a return journey, with a clear goal towards the senior enterprise.
The great symbol of Virtus' armament and renewal was the veteran Serb Milos Theodosic.
Here we have it🤩
The 2021-22 All-EuroCup First Team🔥
What a lineup ... # RoadToGreatness pic.twitter.com/bUGj1xtQEC
- 7DAYS EuroCup (@EuroCup) May 7, 2022
For the first two seasons the team did not succeed in its mission.
The 2019/2020 season was interrupted due to the Corona epidemic, and last season the team was eliminated in the EuroCup semi-finals by Kazan.
The current season also did not start convincingly, Virtus stuttered and finished only fourth in the early house.
The star battery did not connect, alongside a lot of injuries.
But then came the signing in question, and here the Italians lead the Italian league, playing in the Eurocup final, a touch away from the goal.
The secret of success, with the addition of Shangalya and the act, is the fact that they are not only excellent players, but also teammates.
They managed to connect Bologna, which has won six of its seven games with Toko.
Tonight's victory, and it will already be the signing of the season, with an impact on next season.
When he signed in Bologna, there was talk that it was a temporary stop before the transfer of Shangalya to Barcelona this summer, and now the news in Italy is telling of an imminent signing of a contract extension at Virtos.
Earlier this week, another revered star in Georgia, Georgi Shramadini, won the FIBA Champions League with Tenerife. Tonight, in the EuroCup final, Shangalya hopes to complete a patriotic double with the EuroCup Cup.
#MVPMovistar Giorgi Shermadini !!!
✊🏼✊🏼✊🏼✊🏼✊🏼 Vamoos !!!
Bavk to back !!
Retweet pls !!
🙏🏼🙏🏼
- Tornike Shengelia (@ TokoShengelia23) May 1, 2022 Wrong?
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