Interview with Erhan Toker, head coach of “Absheron Lions,” representing Azerbaijan in the European Basketball Cup next season for AZERTAC.
How is your preparation for the new season going?
Everything is going well. Not all players are in Baku yet. Three basketball players will join the team, two foreigners and one local player. We will gradually get to know the squad.
“Absheron Lions” will participate in the European Cup for the first time. In the first qualifying round, the team will face Cyprus’ “Anorthosis.” How do you assess your chances?
“Anorthosis” is one of the strongest clubs in Cyprus. True, they haven’t finalized their squad yet. Currently, they have three foreign players, and another transfer is expected. Their budget isn’t very high. We will do our best to advance to the next round. We have a good team.
Are new transfers expected?
Not yet, but we are considering signing another foreign player in the future. I am satisfied with the current players.
What will be your main goal in the new season of the Azerbaijan Basketball League (ABL)?
As you know, we finished fourth last year. This season, our goal is to reach the playoffs and perform at our best. Aubrey McAlpine and Jalen Shaw, who played for our team last season, will be with us again this year. They know the league well.
What can you say about the level of the ABL?
The league is developing year by year. There are strong teams like “Sabah.” NTD is also a good team. Regional clubs like “Shaki” and “Ganja” performed excellently last year.
Idman.biz
