The Bulgarian forward, playing in his rookie EuroCup season, sat down with Javier Gancedo to reflect on his and his team's start to the campaign
Yordan Minchev, Chemnitz: 'I have been dreaming of this moment'
Röportajlar
9 Dk okuma
NINERS Chemnitz made history by claiming its first-ever BKT EuroCup victory in its home opener last week, defeating Lietkabelis Panevezys 86–67. The night had it all: a dominant 53–29 first half, an electrifying crowd, and the presence of Karli, the team’s mascot inspired by philosopher Karl Marx. One of Chemnitz’s new faces this season is forward Yordan Minchev, the first Bulgarian-born player to compete in the EuroCup in over a decade.
Minchev, who previously played in Bulgaria, Turkiye, Serbia, North Macedonia, Hungary, Romania, and Belgium, is off to a strong start in his EuroCup debut – averaging 8.0 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists with a PIR of 18.5 through two games. He sat down with Euroleague.net's Javier Gancedo to discuss his long journey, Chemnitz’s rising basketball culture, and what it means to finally reach this level.
Q: Hello, Yordan. First things first, congratulations on beating Lietkabelis. It was Chemnitz’s first EuroCup win, too. How great is it to be part of something historic?<br> "Thanks! Yes, as you said, it's historic. It was the first win in a tournament like this and it felt amazing, especially in front of our home crowd. People were really happy. I believe the whole organization was very happy. I was very happy, too! It’s just the beginning – I believe it's the first of many EuroCup wins this season."
Q: And the fans were crazy, too. You could tell this wasn’t just any game – that atmosphere was something you don’t see every day.<br> "Yes, they were so ready for this game. They prepared everything in the stands. The support they give us and all the effort they put in before every game is unbelievable. It's amazing."
Q: Can you elaborate on that a bit?<br> "You don't see that kind of preparation often, especially at basketball games. It’s more common in football, where fans arrive early, set up choreographies and banners. But here, people do the same for us, and I’m really happy to witness it with my own eyes, in my own life, before every game."
Q: Let’s go back to your first game, that overtime loss to Panionios. Chemnitz twice had the game in its hands , missing a shot at the end of regulation and then being up by three in the final seconds. Did that feel like a wake-up call?<br> "I believe it was a slap in the face. It showed us that we have to stay focused the entire game, no matter the score. Also, for some of us, it was our first EuroCup game, so there were nerves. The atmosphere in Greece was incredible – everyone saw the kind of support their team had. It was definitely a result we didn’t want, but we learned from it. Since then, we've won three straight, and the team keeps improving."
Q: Like you said, this is your first EuroCup season. How exciting is it to finally get this opportunity?<br> "Yeah, man, it feels amazing. I’m really grateful because I’ve been dreaming about this moment for the last five or six years. I believed in myself. I knew I belonged here, in a EuroCup-level team. And it finally happened. All the hard work paid off. Coach Pastore saw that and gave me a chance to show my talent and my quality as a player. I'm thankful for this opportunity, and I’m enjoying every day here."
Q: Most EuroCup fans haven’t seen you play before. How would you describe yourself as a player?<br> "I’m a player who brings a lot of energy. I try to be a key part of the team on defense – that's always my focus first. From there, I transfer that energy into offense. Rebounding is probably the best part of my game. I love grabbing the ball off the rim and pushing it in transition. I’m unselfish, I like to get my teammates involved, and I always try to create for others."
Q: Bulgaria has a strong EuroCup tradition, but you're the first Bulgarian-born player in the competition since Hristo Nikolov in 2014–15. Last year, Hapoel played its EuroCup games in Samokov. Do you think Bulgarian fans are paying more attention to the EuroCup now?<br> "We’re a small basketball community in Bulgaria. Basketball isn’t as popular as it is in other European countries – football always comes first. But the people who love basketball were very excited when Hapoel came to play in Bulgaria. Now they’re even hosting EuroLeague games in Sofia. Unfortunately, the project that Lukoil Academic started a while back didn’t work out. The people behind it eventually gave up and stopped supporting any basketball team."
Q: Bulgarian basketball has a superstar in Sasha Vezenkov. His father, Sasho Vezenkov, was a legend and president of Lukoil. What’s your relationship with Sasha like? Do you follow his career?<br> "Yeah, we have a pretty good relationship. We talk during the season. I ask him for advice and I watch almost all of his games – maybe four out of five. I’m really happy for him. It’s always challenging and motivating when we’re together with the national team, although most of the time his club doesn’t allow him to play. But whenever he’s available, he’s ready to help. I really look up to Sasha. I’m proud he’s Bulgarian. Everywhere I go, I tell people, “You know Sasha? He’s my friend – we play together on the national team.” What he does is incredible. It looks simple, but it always works."
Q: You’ve played in seven different countries before finally getting your EuroCup shot. Does that journey make this moment even sweeter?<br> "Definitely. When I look back, it’s been a long road – a lot of countries, a lot of teams. But a lot of it was because of injuries. I had to come back home to finish seasons. Sometimes I couldn’t find a team during the summer, so I just had to accept whatever came. But yes, it makes this even sweeter. Through everything, I stayed positive, I kept working, I kept improving – and it paid off in the end."
Q: Your next game is against Besiktas in Istanbul — one of the toughest road games in the regular season. How big of a test is that for Chemnitz?<br> "Every EuroCup game is a big test – all teams play differently, with different styles and principles. We’ll try to adjust to their game, but the main focus is on what we want to do on the court. It’s going to be tough – they’ve got big bodies in the paint, and we don’t have as many. But we’ve got speed, and they’ll need to watch out for that."