Andrey Vorontsevich: "We’ve missed you — come support us"
Zenit forward Andrey Vorontsevich spoke ahead of the home game against Pari NN about the team’s preparation for the matchup with the Volga side and also summed up the first half of the VTB United League regular season. The game against the Nizhny Novgorod team will take place tomorrow, January 14, on the court of CSC Arena. Tip-off is at 19:30. Tickets are available on the club’s website.
— Andrey, tell us how the preparation for the match against Nizhny Novgorod went?
— Great! We know the guys from Nizhny very well — they always play very physically. They’re talented, they run the floor, and if you let them spread out, they’ll score. Khvostov, Baburin, Ilya Platonov… The Volga team is very strong. We respect them, but at the same time we’re getting ready to show our own basketball and stick to our game plan on both defense and offense.
— Zenit hasn’t played at home for three weeks. Have you missed your home fans?
— Of course, we have. Playing at home is always better than on the road. At home, the walls help you, and so do our wonderful fans. See you at CSC Arena — see you on the court. We invite everyone to come and support your favorite team. Charge us with energy, and we’ll give it back in full.
— The upcoming game marks the midpoint of the regular season for Zenit. What stands out to you from the first half of the season?
— I stick to one rule: you play a game — then forget it and get ready for the next one. A lot happened in the first half of the season. There were good games and not-so-good ones. A large number of injuries, roster changes during the season. Nenad’s departure, the arrival of Noah and Luka. And now Xavier Moon, our warrior teammate, is coming back. We’re really looking forward to Xavier’s return.
I’d also like to once again congratulate everyone on the New Year and Christmas. And I’d like to congratulate our fans on the Old New Year as well — I know many people celebrate it. Come and support us. Yes, the holidays are over, but we’ve been in work mode the whole time — we even trained on December 31 and January 1. We’re preparing and waiting for you in the stands. We’re working and striving to get better every day.
