Vladislav Emchenko: "You need to stay focused from the first second to the last"

Zenit guard Vladislav Emchenko commented ahead of tomorrow’s home game against CSKA. The match against the Moscow team will take place as part of the final round of the 2025/26 VTB United League regular season. Tip-off is scheduled for 19:30 St. Petersburg time. Tickets are available on the club’s website.

— Vladislav, for the first time since the February break in the championship, the team had a week without games. Did you manage to reset, rest, and prepare for the upcoming matches?

— Yes, the coaching staff and medical staff planned the schedule very clearly. After the game against UNICS, we had one day off, then the next day we had a light recovery practice, and now ahead of CSKA we completed four full, solid practices — not long, but intense. Each session had a specific focus, so we’re coming into the game both rested and energized, ready to play.

— Meanwhile, your opponent had a fairly energy-demanding game over the weekend. Did you watch CSKA’s game against MBA-MAI?

— I couldn’t watch the game live, but later I watched the end of the fourth quarter and the overtime. I remember that a couple of months ago the teams played a similar game. It was an interesting matchup — either team could have won. As always, the details decided the outcome in the closing moments.

— You’re facing CSKA less than two weeks after the previous game here in St. Petersburg. What lessons did you take from that match, and what would you like to say to the fans ahead of the home game?

— We take lessons from every game, regardless of whether we win or lose. Yes, we played CSKA recently, and for three quarters we were, let’s say, evenly matched. Before the start of the fourth quarter, we were trailing by just 3-4 points, but then in the fourth quarter we allowed a sudden run, and CSKA built a 20-point lead and won. That’s why, especially against teams like CSKA, you need to stay focused from the first second to the last. Stick to our game plan and, as I already said, win.

We understand that it’s a weekday, late evening, traffic and all that… but in any case, we’ll be happy to see everyone who comes to support us in the final regular-season game. See you tomorrow!