Zenit will compete for the trophy in the WINLINE Basket Cup Final Four. Preview

The decisive part of the season is approaching. While the VTB United League is finishing its regular season, the second tournament — the WINLINE Basket Cup — is entering its final games, which will determine the Cup winner.

The WINLINE Basket Cup Final Four will take place from April 10 to 12 in Saint Petersburg at the CSC Arena court. After the group stage, four teams advanced to the decisive round — CSKA, UNICS, PARMA, and, of course, Zenit, who could not miss a home final. Here’s a preview covering the key points ahead of an action-packed basketball weekend.

Zenit

Dejan Radonjić’s team had a group stage full of ups and downs. By the last round in Kazan, the Blue-White-Sky Blues were in third place, needing only a win to secure a spot in the Final Four. Zenit defeated UNICS 85:77, achieving the minimum goal; a win with the necessary point difference could have earned them first place. In the end, they finished second in Group B: Kazan led the group, while Uralmash and Igokea were eliminated. In the semifinals, Zenit will face CSKA.

CSKA

The Moscow team has been performing at the top level all season, showing strong play in both tournaments — with only four losses by mid-April. The only slip-up in the cup came at the very start, when CSKA lost to Belgrade’s Mega. Otherwise, CSKA confidently took first place in Group A with a 5-1 record and is undoubtedly one of the main favorites heading into the final games.

UNICS

Zenit’s group opponent ultimately took first place. This group was competitive — UNICS, Zenit, and Uralmash each had four wins and two losses, so tiebreakers were used to determine the rankings. Over the past month, Zenit beat the Kazan team twice, but in the Final Four, a meeting with UNICS could only occur in the second game — the question is only which one.

PARMA

The Ural team has had a strong season, showing solid performance and results in both tournaments. Evgeny Pashutin’s squad rightfully earned their place in the Final Four and are sure to challenge their opponents. In the final group-stage match, PARMA defeated Mega 92:70, knocking out their Serbian rival from second place contention.

Direct speech

Zenit head coach Dejan Radonjić shared his thoughts ahead of the crucial games:

In front of us we have a Final Four tournament, the last few games of this season in the WINLINE Basket Cup. Of course, our focus is on the game against CSKA. So far, they have lost only four games this season, they are in really good shape right now. We need to be ready to play our best game to be competitive. Of course, we need support from our fans for sure — this will be very important against such a big team like CSKA.

Game schedule

April 10

17:00 — UNICS vs. PARMA (First semifinal)

19:45 — CSKA vs. Zenit (Second semifinal)

April 11

17:00 — 3rd place game

April 12

14:00 — Final

Please note that the organizers of the Final Four are the VTB United League and WINLINE. Therefore, Zenit’s regular home game rules (season tickets, accreditations, discounts, and benefits) do not apply to this tournament.

Tickets and broadcast

The live broadcast of Zenit — CSKA will be available on the Okko Sport platform, on Match TV and Match! Igra channels, on VK Video, and on the WINLINE Basket Cup website.

Game updates can also be followed in the match center on Zenit’s official website.

Tickets for the Final Four are on sale via the provided link.