– This summer, the composition of “Lietkabelis” changed fundamentally. Only two players from last season remained on the team – Nojus Radžius and Gabrielius Maldūnas. What caused such a major team renewal and how much of it was planned?
Read more The pope Leo XIV is celebrating his birthday, but the gifts went to the Vatican employees
– The team renewal was caused by several reasons – injuries of former players, their age, and financial possibilities. We couldn’t keep some players because other clubs offered them significantly more money.
The players who stayed on the team were those who wanted to remain in Panevėžys and whose retention was financially feasible for us. When choosing newcomers, we also considered our capabilities and looked for the best options within our budget.
I believe we have assembled a team that will be competitive in all tournaments. At the moment, we have the best roster we could gather according to our possibilities.
– How many of the roster formation goals set at the beginning of the summer and the planned first choices were achieved?
– During the roster formation, we lost maybe two players from last season whom we definitely wanted to keep on the team. Regarding newcomers, we managed to invite practically all the players we had planned as our first choices to Panevėžys.
You could say that the majority of the roster formation goals set at the beginning of the summer were achieved.
– This summer, the team was supplemented by several interesting and quite experienced players. Which newcomer personally pleases you the most and who, in your opinion, can surprise “Lietkabelis” fans?
– As I mentioned, practically all the players we had planned as first choices joined our team. We selected each of them considering many criteria – financial possibilities, playing style, suitability for the team, and other aspects.
I wouldn’t want to single out one specific player. So far, we are satisfied with all the newcomers and believe that each of them can bring a lot of benefit to the team.
During the season, we will observe the situation and evaluate how the team looks on the court. If we see that a position needs reinforcement or we have opportunities to strengthen further, we will respond accordingly.
– The upcoming season will be Nenad Čanak’s eighth season in Panevėžys. What benefits does the club gain from having the head coach work with the team for so long? What influence does his involvement and vision have in forming the roster?
– I think the coach likes it here. He really likes the city, the people in it, and the club itself. He still sees his future here.
His word is one of the most important when forming the team. We value players’ qualifications, their playing style, and how well they fit the coach’s vision and needs. Then we look at financial conditions and decide whether we can have a particular player at “Lietkabelis”.
Čanak’s contribution in selecting players is very significant, especially in basketball terms. He best sees how a particular player can be utilized, what role to assign him, and what kind of basketball we can play with the current roster.
– This will be your third season as the director of Panevėžys “Lietkabelis”. What are the most important lessons you learned during the first two seasons and what did you do differently this year?
– There were various lessons – from higher-level management and organizational processes to working in the European Cup and other areas of the club’s activities. I definitely learned a lot and faced many challenges.
This year, probably the biggest challenge was the team renewal because such a decision had to be made. The experience from last season, when we had many injuries and had to wait a long time for some players to return to the court, prompted this decision. We wanted to start the season with all players available.
One of the most important lessons learned is to prepare to start the season with as full a roster and as healthy players as possible. This year, we devoted a lot of attention to this so that the whole team could work together from the beginning of preparation.
– At the beginning of summer, Panevėžys “Lietkabelis” was granted a long-term European Cup license. What benefits does such a status provide to the club and how much does it help in planning the club’s future?
– The long-term license provides many benefits to the club. First of all, it allows more confident future planning and, for example, negotiating long-term contracts with sponsors and partners. We have already signed several such contracts.
At the same time, this license entails certain obligations. One of the most important is to reach a five million euro budget within the next few years. If we fail to meet this requirement, the European Cup organizers would have the right to revoke the license.
Taking this opportunity, I would like to ask the townspeople, fans, the municipality, and sponsors to contribute even more in various ways. I think we are all interested in high-level international basketball continuing in Panevėžys and strong European teams coming to the city.
If we fail to meet this requirement, the European Cup organizers would have the right to revoke the license.
Fans can contribute by attending games, buying club merchandise, and in other ways. The municipality also has its opportunities to help, and for sponsors, long-term participation in the European Cup provides more opportunities to be visible internationally.
One of our main goals is to increase arena attendance and ticket revenue. We will not raise ticket prices this season, so it is very important that as many people as possible come to the games. It may seem like small things, but all of them help the club grow and get closer to the set budget size.
The long-term license also provides much more stability. There is no need to wait every spring and wonder if we will have a place in the tournament next season. It would be calmer for the club itself. It could sign contracts with players in advance, as other clubs do, which secure many players for the next season already in February or March. Having a long-term license would allow earlier contract signings, and in summer, there would be no need to spend so much and compete with other clubs.
The long-term license provides a lot of benefits. But I will repeat once again – if we do not fulfill the set obligations, it can be revoked.
– “Lietkabelis” faces battles both in the European Cup and the LKL. What goals do you set for the team and what result would satisfy you at the end of the season?
– In the European Cup, first of all, we definitely want to be competitive, regardless of our budget size. We all know what Nenad Čanak’s teams are like – they are always competitive and can even stretch the nerves of the tournament giants. That is our main goal.
The goal we are still only cautiously dreaming about is advancing to the next stage.
In the LKL championship, we want to return to the fight for medals and win them. This will also be very difficult because Klaipėda “Neptūnas”, Utena, Šiauliai teams, and we have similar budget sizes, and some clubs even have bigger ones. The fight for medals is becoming tougher.
Much will also depend on our financial capabilities, so to achieve the set goals, everyone’s contribution will be needed – the club, partners, and fans.
– If you had to name one thing that distinguishes this “Lietkabelis,” what would it be?
– It would be youthful enthusiasm, which can sometimes be very good and sometimes very bad. I think these two words best describe our team.
– These are young, enthusiastic people who want to prove what they can do at a high level and then take the next step in their career. I think this is the main distinctiveness of our team.
__________________________________________
The first game of the season is already this Saturday, September 19, at 16:30 at the “Kalnapilis” arena. Panevėžys “Lietkabelis” will meet the Utena “Juventus” team.
