Riga's Zeļļi to face Žalgiris in club's first-ever meeting with a EuroLeague team

"Rīgas Zeļļi" will kick off their pre-season preparations tonight at 19:00 with a friendly match against Kaunas' Žalgiris, held at the Lithuanian club's training facility without spectators present.

Zeļļi head coach Kondratavičs, who spent five seasons within the Žalgiris system, said he was pleased to open the preparation period against such a strong opponent. He noted that facing one of the EuroLeague's top clubs would give his team a valuable taste of EuroLeague-level physicality ahead of the new season. The coach stressed that the current priority is assessing the team's physical and mental readiness and how well the players are gelling, rather than focusing on the result itself.

A milestone for the club

Club president Edgars Buļs described the match as a special moment, since it will be the first time in "Rīgas Zeļļi" history that the club faces a EuroLeague team. He expressed hope that this game marks the beginning of a longer partnership with the Lithuanian club, potentially leading to future matches in larger arenas before full crowds.

Buļs also noted that, in line with Žalgiris' marketing policy, the match will not be broadcast through media channels. However, the possible debut of new signing Valančiūnas against Zeļļi will be viewable through Žalgiris' official app. The club said further details on how to follow the game would be shared via its Instagram account.

Missing key players

Riga's club will not field its strongest lineup, as Klāvs Čavars and Tomas Talcis remain on national team duty, while Toms Skuja is still recovering from an injury.

The upcoming season will be historic for "Rīgas Zeļļi", marking the club's debut in the Basketball Champions League's second-tier European competition (Eurocup). The team will also continue competing domestically in the Latvian Basketball League, the Latvian-Estonian Basketball League, and the Latvian Cup.