VTB United League returned to the international level – Sport – Kommersant

The VTB United League has named the full line-up of the Super Bowl. It was previously known that the tournament, which starts on September 22 in Moscow, will play the four strongest teams of last season: Zenit, CSKA, UNICS and Lokomotiv-Kuban. On Wednesday, it was announced that two Serbian teams would join the Russian teams – Partizan, which needs no introduction, and another Belgrade club, Mega. The leadership of the league sees the arrival of foreign clubs as signs of “continuation of communication in sports with other countries.”

First VTB United League Super Cup took place a year ago, before the start of the 2021/22 season, and was held in the format of a pre-season competition that was not included in the official league schedule. But even then the leadership of the VTB United League announced its intention to give the Super Cup a completely official status and even expand it. What actually happened in the off-season, when it was decided that not four, but six teams would play in the Super Bowl. At the same time, at the first stage they will be divided into two groups, where they will play two matches. The winners of the groups in the final will compete for the main prize – the Gomelsky Cup. The teams that take second place will compete for bronze, the third – for fifth place.

However, the difference between the upcoming tournament, which will be held in Moscow at the VTB Arena from September 22 to 25, is not only in the number of participants. Last year, the four strongest teams of the VTB United League competed in the Super Bowl: CSKA, which won the title, Zenit, UNICS and Lokomotiv Kuban.

And this year, two foreign clubs will join the big Russian four. And from a respected basketball country – Serbia.

We are talking about Partizan, which needs no introduction (Euroleague champion 1992, 21-time Serbian champion, 16-time Serbian Cup winner, 6-time Adriatic League champion) and another Belgrade club Mega (winner of the Serbian Cup-2016 , silver medalist of the Adriatic League-2016, silver medalist of the Serbian Championship-2021). Partizan has been assigned to Group A, where it will play against reigning league champions Zenit and Lokomotiv Kuban, while Mega will face CSKA and UNICS in Group B.

“The first dialogue about the participation of Serbian clubs in the League Super Cup took place back in May at the Euroleague Final Four in Belgrade,” said TASS Sergey Kushchenko, president of the VTB United League. “We talked for a long time, after which we received preliminary approval to continue negotiations, and then met with specific Serbian teams.” “Given the long-standing relationship between the basketball clubs of Russia and Serbia and respect for Serbian basketball – historically one of the strongest in Europe, as well as the fact that many eminent Serbian players and coaches played in the VTB United League, all this made it possible to agree on the participation of Partizan and Megas in the league superbowl. Many thanks to the leaders of these clubs for their help in organizing and willingness to come to the tournament,” he added.

Arnold Kabanov