X-mas cigarettes
December 24, 2008 by Christophe · 5 Comments
Today is December 24th, Santa Claus is just around the corner, and here we go for some cigarettes that help to survive during the break over the holy days.
- First of all, thanks to Zalgiris Kaunas, which is (so far) the only Euroleague and team in general that has sent a (digital) Christmas Card to BallinEurope.
- Speaking of gifts, who doesn’t remember the 2008 Olympic Games final? The French referee Chantal Julien who officiated during the Olympic Games talks about the decisive game between Spain and the USA. In an interview with the French magazine Basketnews, Chantal comes back to this memorable game with the following words: You don’t call the same things on the Americans than you do call on other teams. You have to call the most evident of the evident things. If you whistle a travel every time that Kobe Bryant starts a drive, you will get whistled, you as the referee … During the final, the Spanish team was penalized on the US travels. With the consequences that we know at the end with the two technical fouls on non-called traveling violations. This was embarrassing…
- Some Euroleague teams have put X-mas related content on their homepages. While TAU Vitoria has changed the look of the entry page into a giant Christmas tree, Virtus Roma is even selling a Christmas T-shirt with the autographs of their players. ALBA Berlin is combining their own wishes to the fans with those of the team by putting Julius Jenkins on the official Christmas message, and CSKA Moscow has arranged its homepage a bit into a Christmas Feeling while describing the VTB League win as a Christmas gift. However, the maximum in Christmas kitsch comes from Montepaschi and this video clip in which the players and some other people wish a merry Christmas and a happy new year while wearing those stupid Santa Claus hats. And nobody can tell me anymore that Italians do NOT talk too much…
- I really though that the ACB would make a special Christmas clip for the ACB TV portal. There is nothing at least until now, but watch this great highlight film of the best and most spectacular plays of the year 2008. Be sure to check out the latest Ricky Rubio beauty at the end of the film.
- You can also read the official Christmas letter from Jan Pommer, the German Bundesliga commissioner, but it’s far less entertaining than the ACB video review.
- In France, the Christmas break is always marked by the All-Star Game. And as always, the dunk contest is more exciting than the game itself, as officials invited Golden Child and Justin Darlington to compete against the best French leapers.
- For the Euroleague, it’s Christmas, too, with a best of Christmas cheerleader action. This is even worse than the Montepaschi wishes.
OK, I think I’ve done my work for now. I wish you all the best and a merry Christmas…
Letter to Santa Claus
December 22, 2008 by Tobias · 7 Comments
Dear Santa Claus,
First of all, thank you for existing. Because during such a crisis as this, I’ve been worrying that Christmas might also be reserved for the Chapter 11 treatment. But you’re not still dead, maybe you’re searching for money like General Motors and Chrysler are (oops…maybe you’re healthier, up there in Lapland). I’m writing you this letter in the hopes you’ll satisfy my wishes. I think I won’t pretend too much: We are talking about basketball here. This is my list:
• 24 elite teams in the Euroleague. I can’t see Panionios or Le Mans playing Europe’s most important competition. The best with the best: That’s my opinion. And Ljubljana, Nancy, Zalgiris getting 20 or more points on the road? Mentality, people. They don’t have enough to face the Euroleague, so they can stay in the Eurocup, full stop. So, dear Santa Claus, if you would carry to me an Euroleague reserved for Italian, Spanish, Greek, some Russian and Turkish teams, I’d be the happiest boy you’ve ever pleased! A recommendation: Don’t say anything to Patrick Baumann; call only Jordi Bertomeu to hear what he says about this idea.
• Less perimeter-oriented basketball. My basketball is not catch-and-shoot style, it’s not target practice. I want hesitations, spin moves, and mid-range plays back! I would see big men able to score back to the basket, getting the ball on the low post, scoring tap-ins and fighting for rebounds. I’m bored to see power forwards and centers who shoot only beyond the arc. Should I be pleased to have Ksistof Lavrinovic here in Siena? OK, you win there. But I’d be satisfied if you equipped Montepaschi with a Greg Oden-like player: That way I’d be sure of the European title. Cheers.
• Endless changes in the NIKEID Fantasy Challenge.
• New and better arenas – no more gyms. Build them on your own, ’cause my feeling is that the economic crisis could stop owners from investing a few euros in new palaces, despite Bertomeu and his calls for 9000 seats per squad.
• CSKA’s cheerleaders on every court.
• Responsible agents who are honest in managing contracts and do the best they can for their clients, rather than themselves. Brandon Jennings’ case should teach us something, because with the season going on, the thought that B.J. would develop his skills much more in the NCAA instead on the Lottomatica’s pine consistently increases. Two reasons: the great combo-guard class (UNC’s Ty Lawson, Gonzaga’s Jeremy Pargo, Davidson’s Stephen Curry, UCLA’s Darren Collison, Memphis’ Tyreke Evans, Kansas’ Sherron Collins) we are now admiring in college basketball, and the resignation of Jasmin Repesa. If a 19-year-old in his first experience outside the US, has two or three different coaches during the season, well, you add further confusion to your mind
• A team for Dimitris Itoudis: Zelimir Obradovic can’t stand his unstoppable talking anymore.
That’s all. Have I made requests you can’t attend to? OK then, give me the latest Air Jordans. But please, pledge yourself to help people keep their jobs, so they might forget all their problems at least while watching a basketball game.
Yours Truly,
Francesco Cappelletti
Yarone’s Weekend Joints - Part II
December 22, 2008 by Yarone · 3 Comments
The last pack of Joints before the big break presents you with the stories behind the games in Barcelona and Roma, with a short stop in Athens and a final visit to Kaunas.
Puff it up!
Mirza Bryant?
An NBA glitch for a minute. The most memorable game from Kobe’s rookie season was the last of that season: The Lakers were down 3-1 against the Jazz and playing game 5 in Salt Lake City. It came down to a tied-up game on the last possession and Laker ball. Kobe was an 18-year-old rookie back then, having started in only six games the entire season and averaging about 8 points per game — Far from the sole go-to guy he became later on.
Nevertheless, Kobe took that last shot that hit nothing but … air. The game went into overtime. Some might thought the kid would shy from the ball after the airball, but nothing was about to stop Bryant. Not even when he made another airball, and another and then another. Three airballs in a row on decent (Kobe-style) shots in a single overtime.
Kobe detractors celebrated and claimed nothing would come of such a selfish kid who shoots airball after airball in a clutch moment in a playoff game in his rookie season. For one of the writers on Ballineurope.com, though, it was a sign this kid was something special. So very few players have the balls to take such shots and continue to play like nothing has changed after the first airball.
What does this have to do with the Euroleague? In recent weeks, we’ve seen a 17-year-old kid named Mirza Sarajlija who plays 20 minutes per game for Olimpija. In Roma, with the game tied at 62-62 and the final seconds of regulation running down, Sarajlija held the ball. Veterans like Jasmin Hukic and Ivica Jurkovic were in Olimpija’s lineup but the kid, who was 1-for-7 from the field to that point, didn’t only have the ball but also the balls. Sarajlija ran the clock down and took the game on his shoulders. His shot hit nothing but … air.
Olimpija somehow manged to tie the score and the game went into overtime, but not before the kid had another chance to win the match and instead turned the ball over. While we didn’t witness another series of airballs in overtime by the skilled Sarajlija, but he kept his game going and didn’t hide from the ball. There’s something special in this kid…
The Barcelona show
No doubt who’s the hottest team in Europe now: It didn’t even take the two losses in three games by CSKA to put an undisputed crown on Barcelona’s head in the last days of 2008. The 24-point win over Pao in the first leg wasn’t impressive enough. Barca had already smashed Pao that badly twice already in the last years, but didn’t do much more than that later the season.
In the last two weeks, things have changed. First came the easy-easy-easy win in OAKA, and this week the team tortured Montepaschi with a 25-3 first-quarter start. Lavrinovic entered the game on a 0-for-10 streak from the arc and at the final buzzer “climbed” to 1-for-14, but that three-pointer was the bucket that saved his team from a quarter of a round zero points. Take a look at the team stats close to the end of that first quarter and figure it out.
The thing about Barca is not that they look unstoppable, they just make the opponent look miserable. Very, very miserable. The following Joint might explain it best.
First ever for Rimas
Coach Simone Pianigiani’s players seemed in total shock from tip off to buzzer. Nobody played close to his level. Probably the best example was Rimas Kaukenas, one of yours truly’s favorite players. The best way to describe his game style would be to say he’s an all-around guard. Kaukenas can score, sometimes even a lot, but he’s not a scorer. He does a lot of things on court. He’ll rebound, assist, steal and make the defense move to create situations for his teammates. Not a lot of players contribute in so many aspects on court in such a steady manner as the Lithuanian talent.
Let’s put it into numbers. From 2000/01, when he started his pro career after college, to today, Kaukenas played 96 games in European competitions and 276 in domestic leagues in Israel, Lithuania, Belgium, Germany and Italy for six different teams. In the European cup games, Kaukenas didn’t finish a single game without one rebound or assist. Always at least one of the above. Mostly, of course, with more than one in both.
In domestic league games, Kaukenas had only seven nights without a rebound or assist. In five of these seven, he had at least one steal; in the other two, he had no steals as well but at least drew fouls. In Barcelona, he had his worst game ever in this respect: He played over 32 minutes, more than anyone else in Montepaschi, finishing with eight points on 4-for-12 shooting from the field, but lost three balls and was blocked twice. That’s it. For the first time ever in his pro career, a total of 344 games, Kaukenas finished a game with no rebounds, no assists, no steals and no fouls drawn. If you needed an image of Montepaschi’s lack of production, even on a miniscule scale, on that night, Kaukenas was the perfect example.
Saved by the Point
Montepaschi scored only three points in the first quarter at Barcelona, but stayed out of the record books. The one to hold the undignified record for fewest points in a quarter is another Italian club: Benetton Treviso. Under one of the best coaches out there, Ettore Messina, Benetton scored just two points in the third quarter of their Top 16 game in Istanbul against Efes Pilsen on March 10, 2005. The final score was a 52-43 win for the Turks.
If you’re looking for a link between the games, you can find it in Henry Domercant. Back in 2005, Domercant was on Efes and excelled with 16 points, 8 rebounds and an index rating of 24. This week, he was on the other side with Montepaschi, but was still best on his team with 13 points, 5 boards and an index of 17.
Where we stand, Group C
Tau (6-2) will travel to Roma (6-2) after the break and must win if they want to finish on top. An Italian win will give Sani the first spot in this group thanks to two wins over the club from Vitoria. In recent years, no team other than CSKA has managed to beat Tau on both legs.
Olimpija is now officially out of the picture, so three teams will fight over two tickets. Fenerbahce Ulker’s (4-4) big win over Joventut (4-4) this week will most likely be enough to give them an advantage in any tiebreaker. Fener will be out only if Alba wins both games and Ricky’s gang does not get a victory at Tau. Since Joventut still needs to play in Vitoria (although that game might not matter to Tau if they lose in Roma) and will host Alba (3-5), the chances of the two teams chasing the Turks to pass them are slim.
All this means that the fourth ticket will be decided in Badalona right after the break when Joventut hosts Alba. The differences play no role here. A win by Simas’ gang will keep Alba out of the Top 16. In the case of a German win, the club from Catalonia will need to win in Vitoria and pray for Alba to lose at home against knocked-out Olimpija in front of 13,000 fans in O2 arena.
Paulius the first
One last bit from Kaunas. Paulius Jankunas had another big game in front of his fans, but this one will go in history books. He finished with a season high of 23 points, going 5-for-5 inside the arc and a surprising 3-for-5 from distance. The Lithuanian big guy can shoot from outside, but he’s someone you can leave open with the state of mind “So he’ll make one of three at best. I can live with that.” That’s probably true but no consolation for Prokom, who saw Jankunas hit three times from beyond the arc for the first time in his Euroleague career, a total of 96 games.
Triple Lior
Since Pini Gershon rearrived in Tel Aviv, Lior Eliyahu is blooming. This week he notched his third double-double in a row. As noted by Arale Weisberg on Ynet.co.il, Maccabi legends Anthony Parker and Nikola Vujcic never held such streak. Maceo Baston reached it just once and Nate Huffman three times. The Euroleague longest streak is held by two double-double masters: Mirsad Turkcan and Joe Blair. Both reached a streak of seven, which is no surprise as they also have double-double career averages.
It’s raining three’s
When CSKA shoots 14 three pointers at a 48.2% clip on you in Moscow and you still win, it’s close to a miracle. True, the Russians missed Siska and Smodis, but it’s still one very impressive win for the Spanish squad. Three pointers played a big role in this game, as the teams combined for 26 hits from that range in 50 attempts, and didn’t fall far behind the shots taken inside the arc (31-for63).
Most unique was that no fewer than 10 players — five on each team — scored more times from long range than from inside the arc. Aleksey Savrasenko and Erazem Lorbek were the only CSKA players who didn’t shoot from distance, and obviously scored more inside it. J.R. Holden was the exception. For Real, only Hervelle and Massey tried both options and were more successful from the inside. The rest — Felipe Reyes, Sergio Llull and Venson Hamilton — avoided shooting from three-point land.
Ricardo’s trauma
Panathinaikos and Nancy met in OAKA in one of the most boring games of the season. Pao won, as expected, 83-69, and that’s was the main problem: It was too expected. Both sides played with no real passion. Pao took a double-digit lead in the second quarter and from there the game continued to be played, but nothing happened.
Well, almost nothing. Ricardo Greer, who’s on the sure path to have the worst turnover per game ratio in Euroleague history as published here, contributed another unforgettable performance with seven turnovers. If you keep in mind that he had a season high of eight in the first game against the Greeks, you get an average of 7.5 turnovers per game. The irony is that those two games also represented his best index rating performances of the season. In France, he had his season high in points with 26, five rebounds and index of 19, while this week he tallied 21 points, six rebounds and 16 index rating.
Where we stand, Group D
Despite the losses, unless the Earth move, CSKA (6-2) will finish this group on top. Real (5-3) stands a very good chance to finish second, but it’s far from a done deal, as they still need to play in Milano and host the only team in the final week that can still snatch the spot: Efes.
The last two tickets are up for grabs, as Efes (4-4) and three teams with a 3-5 record - Partizan, Milano and Panionios — can finish in or out of the pack. Panionios will play at Partizan and host Milano in the upcoming weeks and a lot will be decided in these battles. We might even see here a four-way tie at 4-6, so everything is still wide open in this race.
Difference-making Sani
The index rating doesn’t always reflect what happened on court, but in a very certain way did show what took place in Roma. The game went to overtime and could have gone in favor of the visitors but by the end of the night, Roma had a team index rating of 86 while the group from Ljubljana was stuck at 49: A difference of 37 that doesn’t tell the story of the night, but funnily enough former Olimpija player Sani Becirovic finished the game with an index rating of 38 on the way to MVP of the Week honors. A single Roma player wasn’t too far from Olimpija’s total, and almost made the entire difference between the teams.
Yarone’s Weekend Joints - Part I
December 21, 2008 by Christophe · 3 Comments
Part I will present all that before Part II, in which the games in Barcelona and Roma take center stage.
Nenad Kristic is back in the NBA
December 20, 2008 by Tobias · 3 Comments
According to ESPN’s Chad Ford and Draftexpress, Nenad Kristic is leaving Russia and Triumph Lyubertsy. And since the story even ran on ESPN last night, it seems to be more than just a rumor. Sources say that GM Sam Presti of the worst NBA team so far, the Oklahoma City Thunder, is making this move to bring Nenad back to the NBA.
According to the hoop, Kristic will pay back all the money he received so far from Triumph in order to get out of his contract.
Triumph is probably tanking the season with this move, since they are already eliminated from the Euro Cup, and the Russian Cup is well behind their expectations.
Euroleague Picture Report: ALBA Berlin - TAU Vitoria
December 20, 2008 by Christophe · Leave a Comment
The press conference after the Euroleague game brought nothing special, as there was only one question from the about 20 journalists in the room. Luka Pavicevic explained that the decisive game for ALBA would be in Badalona, where they need to win to qualify for the Top 16. He also translated Dusko Ivanovic’s words into English because of the TAU head coach’s poor English. (How is this guy talking to his players, then?)
You can also check out the pictures from O2 World below.
Euroleague LIVE: ALBA Berlin - TAU Ceramica
December 18, 2008 by Christophe · Leave a Comment
Today, BallinEurope will be live in Berlin at the O2 World for a Live Blog of the Euroleague game between ALBA Berlin and TAU Ceramica. We will also check out the Arena where the Euroleague Final Four will be played in May and give you information about where to stay and what to do when you come to Berlin in May.
The game will start at 20h00 CET.
Last-second choices for the NIKEiD Fantasy Challenge
December 17, 2008 by Christophe · 2 Comments
My transfers were already set Tuesday afternoon but when I came home on the evening, I read that Juan Carlos Navarro will probably miss the next game. So I had to change those nice picks I’d already made.
OUT: Nikola Pekovic (Panathinaikos), Mirsad Turkcan (Fenerbahce) and Giorgios Printezis (Olympiacos).
IN: Lior Eliyahu (Maccabi), David Andersen (FC Barcelona) and Viktor Khryapa (CSKA Moscow).
The thing is that two guys, Nikola Pekovic and Navarro, must be moved out by any means because of injuries. So who to take as a third, Mirsad Turkcan or Giorgios Printezis, or even somebody completely different? With the two first guys out, I could easily bring in my two choices, David Andersen and Victor Khryapa. Both are currently improving their playing level and are still not too expensive. This brings me to a situation where I have 34 credits left and still one trade to make.
By selling Turkcan like I wanted to, I have to many credits. On the other hand, none of the other inside players is a selling option in my opinion, as both Edu Hernandez-Sonseca and Tiago Splitter should come up with big numbers next game. So I have to check on the forward position and forget about bringing Lior Eliyahu to my team.
So my choice goes to David Logan, who should bring good stats in the game against Zalgiris. So I really think that this is the deal I need in order to overcome my poor performance from last week and find my way back to where I belong. 
Batum: “I feared defending Greer more than Wade.”
December 16, 2008 by Christophe · Leave a Comment
Today, we take another look at the blogs written by those ballers playing in or coming from Europe. Nicolas Batum, currently playing his first season in the NBA, is sharing his thoughts with his French fans and made quite a nice statement in his blog on Basketsession:
In fact, the thing about the guys I have to guard, Wade, Hamilton, T-Mac, is that I can anticipate what they do as I have seen them play so often. This has helped me very much when I took Wade down to 12 points only. I don’t fear them at all. I feared defending Ricardo Greer of Nancy more than taking on Dwyane Wade.
I saw that I put him in trouble when he voluntarily hit me with his elbow in my face. That made me laugh: I was happy because this meant that I was doing well.
It seems like Nicolas has really entered the NBA right now, but there is one guy that can put him in big trouble though.
By the way, the day when I really struggled, when I had to fight but I could not do anything, it was against Peja Stojakovic. Believe me: he is unstoppable, he shoots too quick.
Euroleague Power Rankings (Week 7)
December 16, 2008 by Christophe · 2 Comments
The last game day before Christmas is just ahead, so let’s check which are teams are hot and which are not at the moment.
1. CSKA Moscow (6-1) (+1)
It was just a short-term downgrade to second place for CSKA Moscow. An emphatic win against Panionios and a hard-fought victory over Unics Kazan helped them to recover the first place in our unique Power Rankings.
2. Montepaschi Siena (6-1) (-1)
Siena had a little more trouble than expected in beating the Lithuanians from Zalgiris Kaunas. On the other hand, in the domestic league, the team continues to win and confirms their current good situation.
3. Regal FC Barcelona (6-1) (+1)
The big win of the week comes from FC Barcelona and their victory in the OAKA. This puts them in third place on the Euroleague Power Rankings and shows the nice job done by the coaching staff to build such a strong team.
4. TAU Ceramica (5-2) (+2)
The offensive powerhouse from Vitoria comes off another destroying win in the Euroleague. And they will play against ALBA Berlin this week in a rematch of Igor Rakocevic’s 6-for-6 three-point effort.
5. Unicaja Malaga (5-2) (+2)
Unicaja is currently in the upstream, so it’s time for them to slow down to remain in their classical up-and-down moves. The big win at home against the Greek Olympiacos team with a reduced team gives them the necessary boost to remain among the top contenders for the Top 16.
6. Olympiacos (5-2) (-3)
Olympiacos is currently a little bit off, as the team has not yet identified the leader who takes over games in the final minutes, which ultimately caused their defeat in Malaga. Josh Childress is doing the job, but he is not the “Messiah” awaited by the Reds.
7. Panathinaikos (5-2) (-2)
Panathinaikos is a bit in the same situation as Olympiacos and even lost at home. The game against FC Barcelona will remain in the minds of fans and players, but the next matchup against SLUC Nancy should get them back on track.
8. Cibona Zagreb (5-2) (+1)
The weeks continue and Cibona is still in the Top 10 in our rankings. The Croats are playing an excellent season so far, building on some local talent with surprisingly strong US players: A mix that works very well and qualifies them for the Top 16.
9. DKV Joventut (5-2) (+2)
Ricky is back, and so is DKV Joventut. It’s not quite that easy, but the Badalona team is currently getting better. The case of Pops Mensah-Bonsu is definitely sealed, and Eduardo Hernandez-Sonseca is working in the paint. With Ricky improving every game now, the Top 16 will be very interesting.
10. Lottomatica Roma (5-2) (-2)
Coach Repesa is gone, and so goes the five-game winning streak. It’s not that simple, but the team does need to find itself again at this moment. Even if Brandon Jennings gains in minutes, the goal is to win games and not to develop the scoring skills of a high school kid.
11. Real Madrid (4-3) (+3)
A tough win at home against Partizan, and Real Madrid moves up in the rankings again. Coach Joan Plaza’s is probably the most discussed position right now in the Euroleague, but with every win, his seat remains in place. By the way, Real will play in Moscow this week and a loss is very probable.
12. Maccabi Tel Aviv (4-3) (+1)
Maccabi wins on the road but loses in the domestic league; what a strange situation. However, since Lior Eliyahu has woken up in the Euroleague, the team seems to comfort their Top16 spot and should continue their presence for another few games.
13. Efes Pilsen (3-4) (+2)
After being ranked pretty high at the beginning of the season, the Turkish Brewers have fallen down regularly in our Rankings but seem to find their way back up right now. After beating the red-hot AJ Milano team at home, things look a little bit better right now.
14. Partizan Belgrade (3-4) (-4)
Partizan needs to win its games at home and maybe take one or the other win on the road. This week, they nearly did, losing by only 1 in Madrid. However, they remain strong and should be able to reach the Top 16 again this season.
15. Fenerbahce Ülker (3-4) (+1)
Fenerbahce Ülker was on the way to win in Berlin but without any obvious reason completely struggled in the second half and gave ALBA Berlin a highly important win. They showed no problems in the domestic league in beating the small team Antalya and they have a crucial game at home against Joventut this week.
16. ALBA Berlin (3-4) (+4)
ALBA Berlin remains unbeaten in O2 World and will try to continue the win streak against TAU this week. However, a surprising loss on the road in the Bundesliga was not in their favor, and the still long list of injuries is a problem for Luka Pavicevic.
17. AJ Milano (2-5) (-5)
A big move up and big move down; this is how to look at AJ Milano’s fortunes last week. The team had an impressive win at home against CSKA which boosted their stock. However, it wasn’t enough to continue their streak and lost in Istanbul. Everything remains possible for the team, though, as they host Partizan this week.
18. Panionios (3-4) (-1)
The Greeks took a severe loss in Moscow, like nearly every team in the Euroleague. Additionally, they lost by 16 against Olympiacos in the Greek league, like nearly every team in the A1. So not a lot of changes for Panionios right now.
19. Asseco Prokom (2-5) (-1)
Prokom did the job in Nancy with the loss and not giving back the lead taken in the first meeting. The Polish team needs to win a few more in order to qualify for the next round and are currently in the best position for 4th place in their (poor) group.
20. Air Avellino (2-5) (-1)
Air Avellino lost nearly all of their chances to qualify for the Top 16 with the home defeat against Maccabi. It was a great experience for the small Italian team to participate to the Euroleague but the dream is coming to an end.
21. SLUC Nancy (2-5) (+1)
Nancy had a small chance and took it. By beating Asseco Prokom behind an astonishing effort from Cyril Julian, the French team needs to win on the road now in order to have a last qualifying chance for the Top 16.
22. Union Olimpija (1-6) (-1)
Nothing is really working well right now for the Slovenians. Coaches come and go, injuries and defeats mark a season to forget in the Euroleague. The management is probably already thinking about next year and seeking improvements in order to become competitive again.
23. Zalgiris Kaunas (0-7) (+1)
Yes, Zalgiris only lost by seven, so it was enough for me to take them out of last place. And when reading the forums, I even hear voices claiming that the Lithuanians still have a chance to reach the Top 16 by beating SLUC and Asseco. Yes, that sounds possible.
24. Le Mans (0-7) (-1)
Should I really waste any time writing about the biggest disaster of the year? Starting with a team names that opened some eyes but also a rookie coach, Le Mans should probably refocus on their traditions of talented young locals and experienced coaches. At least the fans would not be as disappointed.
