Kuzminskas: “My first love Malaga-very happy at AEK”

The BCl semifinal between AEK and Malaga Friday will be special for the Midaugas Kouzminskas. The 35-year-old forward spent the first three years of his out-of-Lithuania career in Unikaha (2013-2016) before going to NBAand he does not forget his relationship with the Andalusian team. However, he says he is happy in Greece and AEK, but also full of motivation to claim a European title, while noting that the financial problems that existed in the “Union” last year have been resolved.

In detail, what Kuzmi said in an interview with Diario sur:

-AEK’s course and its presence in Greece: “I’m very happy at AEK, because we have good results. We qualified for the semifinals of the league and the Final 4 after a season that was a bit catastrophic with the problems we had. We play for the world, of course it’s a job with contracts and money, but when you see people return to the court, it’s the most important thing. Athens is a nice place to live and play basketball. I love Malaga, but Athens is very good and we are treated wonderfully to me and my family. ”

-The state of AEK: “I can’t tell you all the secrets (laughs). We are in good shape, we have not lost any games at our BCL home and in the league we lost only to Olympiacos and Panathinaikos. But we have to be realistic, Malaga is a favorite not only for the semifinals but also for the title. I am very happy about her situation, they have won titles and the most striking is that it is a very stable and consistent team. ”

-The fact that she is facing Malaga: “When I had left Malaga, I had said that I would return as a player or tourist. Unfortunately I only did the second. Unikaha and Malaga are for me like my first love, it will be forever in my heart. ”

-the course of his career: “If they gave me a paper before I became a professional, and they told me that I would play in the teams I played, with my teammates and in the countries I found, I would sign it immediately. I am very happy with how things went for me. Sometimes it was better, some worse, because the difference in success from failure is details. But they are grateful for everything, including my family, who gave me these opportunities. Even now it is fantastic to be able to help your team claim a high level title. ”

-AEK’s friends: “They are very warm. They had some problems, Malaga’s world is more kind and you have no such problems. I will give you some tips via Instagram about what to do in Athens. ”

-The decision to stay in the team this year despite last year’s financial problems: “I’m from Lithuania and when we won our independence we had a lot of problems too, so I’m used to it. It’s no secret, we had a lot of problems last year, but the team has solved them. I stayed because I am at a stage of my career where when the club has a problem, I can wait, be patient and help my teammates. On the other hand, teams in southern Europe have people who take care of you and are very enjoyable, at work and outside it. Changing countries and groups every year at 35 is no longer for me. We had problems last year, but my family is happy here. I had suggestions in the summer, but not enough to completely change my life. “