From BZ/dpa
Managing director Marco Baldi from the German champions Alba Berlin cannot rule out a major upheaval due to numerous expiring contracts after this season.
The 60-year-old envisions a core around professionals like Luke Sikma or Tim Schneider to obtain. “We will have this core again and we need it too. A radical change of 15 players with 14 new players, that won’t happen.” Baldi in the “MagentaSport” podcast “Basketball department”.
Luke Sikma, who has played for Alba since 2017, is said to stay Photo: picture alliance/ Eibner Presse
With the core, Alba will continue the club’s philosophy of developing players rather than signing expensive professionals from other clubs. In addition to the annual goal of the German championship title, Baldi also hopes for international success, asserting himself in the Euroleague against the top clubs with much higher budgets.
“We are currently not contenders for the Final 4 in the Euroleague and it will still take a lot of time. But I do believe that we can get there with our style, ”said the former professional. Alba finishes the current Euroleague season on Thursday as penultimate with the home game against ASVEL Villeurbanne, but cannot drop back to last place.
Continuous injuries this season have prevented a better international performance. Baldi therefore calls for a contractual game plan: “It has to come sooner or later. At least as long as we play basketball in Europe the way we play it. With this intensity.”
Baldi demands free time
The Alba boss is therefore also committed to a certain free time so that the players can regenerate. “There must be six weeks, two months a year that are really free,” said Baldi, “as it is now, it’s too much.”