With confidence and strong determination to take the first step towards qualification, PAOK hosts UCAM Murcia on Wednesday night (April 1, 19:15) in a major game at the PAOK Sports Arena.
The first semifinal of the FIBA Europe Cup is expected to turn into a fierce battle, with the Spanish side being in an extended period of excellent form, which further increases the level of difficulty of the game.
PAOK aims to take the first step towards reaching the finals and will look to identify and exploit Murcia’s weaknesses during the game, while at the same time capitalizing on the strength of its home court. The support of the fans is essential and is expected to play a very important role in our team’s effort.
PAOK head coach Pantelis Boutskos, referring to the first FIBA Europe Cup semifinal against Murcia, stated:
“With great enthusiasm and very high motivation, we face Murcia, a great team that plays excellent basketball and has an impressive run both in the FIBA Europe Cup and in the Spanish league. It is very important for us to meet the demands of a highly physical game and, with the unique support and energy from our fans, to take the first step towards qualification to the final.”
The UCAM Murcia delegation arrived in Thessaloniki today, and their first training session at the PAOK Sports Arena is scheduled for this afternoon.
The referees for the first semifinal are: Michal Proc (Poland), Yener Yilmaz (Turkey), and Gintaras Maciulis (Lithuania).