The last 2022 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four team to celebrate Media Day for the new season, Real Madrid, opened its doors on Friday for a round of whirring cameras and popping flashes as its players talked about the club's always-high ambitions at this time of year.
Los Blancos get real at Media Day!
Real underwent a few changes since finishing as runner-up for the EuroLeague trophy in Belgrade last spring, most notably seeing a switch at the head of the bench to long-time assistant Chus Mateo, who knows the large majority of his players well.
New to the famous white and purple Real uniforms are three frontcourt players: Petr Cornelie, Mario Hezonja and Dzanan Musa, who were in much demand on Friday. But perhaps the biggest attraction was an icon who is returning to Madrid for the first time in six years, none other than Sergio "El Chacho" Rodriguez.
So the more things change, the more they stay the same for the most successful club in European basketball history, which gets its game on this season with a visit to Panathinaikos OPAP Athens next Thursday, October 6. Real visits FC Barcelona for the first El Clásico of the EuroLeague season in Round 2, and finally plays its home opener in Round 3 against Olympiacos Piraeus.