FIBA Basketball

    EUROLEAGUE –Spahija, Nielsen to face old team Valencia after Top 16 Draw

    BARCELONA (Euroleague) - Neven Spahija coached, and Matt Nielsen led on the floor when Power Electronics Valencia won the Eurocup last season. Now the two will face their former club in the Euroleague this season after Tuesday's Top 16 draw in Barcelona. Valencia, who appointed Svetislav Pesic coach midway through the Regular Season and won four of ...

    BARCELONA (Euroleague) - Neven Spahija coached, and Matt Nielsen led on the floor when Power Electronics Valencia won the Eurocup last season.

    Now the two will face their former club in the Euroleague this season after Tuesday's Top 16 draw in Barcelona.

    Valencia, who appointed Svetislav Pesic coach midway through the Regular Season and won four of their last five games to stay alive in the competition, will face Spahija's team, Fenerbahce, and Nielsen's Olympiacos along with Zalgiris Kaunas also in Group H.

    "Neven Spahija is now the Fenerbahce Ulker coach and Matt Nielsen is at Olympiacos, both of them key pieces in our winning the Eurocup last year so I am sure that the fans will be motivated to see all these exciting games," said Valencia president Vicente Sola.

    Olympiacos, coached by Dusan Ivkovic and with the Serbia national team point guard Milos Teodosic pulling the strings, finished top of Group B at 7-3 while Fener were second in Group C at 7-3 behind Montepaschi Siena (8-2).

    Zalgiris came in third in Group A behind Maccabi Tel Aviv and Caja Laboral while Valencia were fourth in Group D behind Panathinaikos, Union Olimpija and Efes Pilsen.

    Maccabi lost their first game of the season but have won nine in a row since under coach David Blatt.

    They are in Group F with Union Olimpija, Regal Barcelona and Lottomatica Roma.

    Barca are the defending Euroleague champions but they lost three times in the Regular Season and finished third in Group C behind Montepaschi and Fener.

    Barca general manager Joan Creus knows the team is in for some battles, including against Roma.

    "Roma is a young team that is on the rise," he said.

    "We expect very tough road games, so we will have to be very strong at Palau Blaugrana."

    Panathinaikos, Caja Laboral, Unicaja Malaga and Lietuvos Rytas are in Group E and in Group G, Montepaschi will battle against Real Madrid, Efes Pilsen and Partizan Belgrade.

    FIBA