PRO SPORT
Léo Westermann
SO : We have great expectations for ourselves . I am used to set ambitious targets but I never reveal what they are . I am more focused on reaching day-by-day success . It makes me more confident for the future . Playing in the EuroLeague is quite new for most players at AS Monaco Basket . This makes us have more ideas for improvement for the Club . It is essential for every basket player to always appear at his best , showing balanced feelings whether the team win or lose the game . I wish then Roca Boys to stay healthy !
: Can you apply the same sports winning tactics versus the Kazan Team , this year ?
SO : It is not easy to compare last Season with the present one . EuroLeague is much harder than EuroCup . Everything will also depend on the team we have to face in the last game .
EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW WITH LÉO WESTERMANN , TEAM LEADER OF THE AS MONACO BASKET
: Mr . Westermann , what does it mean being the new captain of the Team ?
Léo Westermann : I am pleased to have been chosen to play this role . I am trying my best to fulfil this charge as well as to be the ‘ ambassador ’ between the staff & the coach and the Team . It is also very important to me to be part of such a team-oriented group . Maybe it is too early to say this is effective but I am really happy to be here .
: The previous Season ended with an extraordinary result for AS Monaco Basket , do you feel more responsible in order not to disappoint teammates and supporters ?
LW : Yes , definitely . The Team did an amazing job in the last Season within the EuroCup but I think that facing the present is another thing ; the sport level is very high in EuroLeague . In fact , we are playing versus the best teams in Europe . We are therefore in another ‘ world ’. It is a process and the path promises to be long and we cannot make predictions of victory . EuroLeague is a marathon and you need to keep up an ever-lasting sprint . It is not easy but we reached the best level we can have in Europe and it makes us proud , since we all want the best for the Team .
: Which match do you remember with most pleasure during the current EuroLeague ? Which opposing team do you consider the strongest ?
LW : For sure we will remember the winning matches we had against some of the
strongest opponents ( ASVEL Lyon Villeurbanne and Zenit St Petersburg . — Ed .). We have been improving at every stage for some time but what we have just done is one of the best results we ever achieved . Real Madrid and Barcelona are fearsome opponents , being currently ranked on top . But you never know what can happen in EuroLeague and this makes it intriguing !
: Do you have any rituals to keep your spirits up ?
LW : Everyone has his own way to be ready for the match . Some players need to be more focused on every detail than others . But as soon as we enter the field we feel very close trying to stay in tune . Then we all shout : Daghe Munegu ! ( Go Monaco !)… to cheer us up .
: What makes a basketballer a winning champion ?
LW : First of all , you have to be ambitious but you have also to keep working on it and believe in what you wish to accomplish . It is something that starts from your childhood and marks your career . Some athletes have something extra .
Hello Monaco Spring 2022 / 73 www . hellomonaco . com