For the second year in a row, underdog Olympiacos Piraeus stunned CSKA Moscow in the Euroleague Final Four and once again the Russian club has to leave the competition without the title.

At the beginning of the season, four-time Euroleague champion and current head coach of CSKA, Ettore Messina, was meant to be the savior Moscow needed, but it wasn't enough to achieve big success in London. CSKA once again failed at a crucial moment, but Messina believes there's still some work left to be done in Moscow.

RealGM sat down with Messina in London to talk about what the future holds for CSKA, the Euroleague Final Four format, Viktor Khryapa and things that money can't buy.

RealGM: What was the first thought that came to your mind on the morning following the loss on Friday?

Messina: That we badly lost the game. I woke up with very few hours of sleep with the idea that we lost and we played poorly. We need to find a way to make players want to win. We cannot throw in the towel and there's a lot of work that has to be done. We need to find a way to convince them that there's some work to do.

RealGM: Last summer, CSKA president Andrey Vatutin told RealGM that his plan is to build a team for at least three years. Do you believe CSKA's plan remains the same even after Friday's loss?

Messina: Usually at the end of the season, regardless of whether we win or lose, I sit with the president of my club to talk about the situation and obviously the future. We discuss the adjustments that we may do or not, thus it is difficult for me to answer the question now. We will have some discussions at the end of the season, for sure.

RealGM: As you know, 14 of 15 players have contracts for the next season. Do you think that this group of players are still able to bring a championship to Moscow?

Messina: First of all, we talk about the team, which had a great Euroleague season. But we're talking about the team that collapsed again at the most important moment of the season, which was a shock. At this point, you can think two ways. First, let's make minor adjustments and we can solve the problem, or you might think let's change everything. I have no idea what the feel of the club is and I will make sure at the end of the season that at least they hear my personal opinion.

RealGM: Do you agree that building a team with long-term vision is better than rebuilding a club every single year?

Messina: It must be better with this, I agree. This team went through forced adjustment during last summer. We lost three key players not because we wanted. Two went to the NBA and one retired. Once that happened, we're talking about three players who were 70 percent of our scoring power, thus we had to make adjustments. All season long it seems that we were moving on and we were going on the right direction. And then all the sudden there comes a game like the one on Friday and everything looks like a disaster. You have to detach yourself from this very close field and think about it with cold mind.

RealGM: Leaving Friday's game behind us, Viktor Khryapa was one of the best players in the league all season long, but he wasn't selected to the All-Euroleague First Team. Was that a surprise for you?

Messina: I thought he deserved the first lineup and I think he was a great candidate for the MVP award as well. But that's out of my control. And even if this made him [Khryapa] upset, it's just something you have to deal with. He was absolutely a key player of our team. If not him, we wouldn't be in the final four because he was so consistent all season. He played a major role, for sure.

RealGM: Talking about the current Euroleague format, you play many games all season long and there's only one decisive game in semifinal and final. Do you think it is the way it should be?

Messina: I always said that [a series is better]. The experience in the 2001 Euroleague best-of-five final series was one of the best experiences that I had as a coach. Not only because we won, but also because those five great games got all the attention in Europe and South America or around the world. Comparing with the Final Four, just as you said, you have a bad day and you basically destroy your season. Same happens if you get injured. But I understand why they use the format of the Final Four. There are marketing reasons. However, as a coach, I always said that to decide who is a champion, there must be a playoffs.

RealGM: Looking at this season, did you like the decision to extend the Euroleague Top 16 phrase? 

Messina: I have to say the second stage was great. All those great teams playing games every week… I really like the way it is. Basically, the Top 16 becomes a true regular season. The regular season is more like a qualification. I would put it like this.

RealGM: We've seen so many cases when teams that have money cannot achieve great results. What is the key ingredient in terms of building a championship team?

Messina: Chemistry. And you also have to find the right people before the right players.

RealGM: Can you buy chemistry?

Messina: No, but choosing the right people is very important and maybe sometimes you have to sacrifice a little bit in terms of talent. But you have to make sure you have the right people. 

RealGM: Do you see those right people in Europe that you would want to have in your team? 

Messina: Yes, but we do not want to be affected by a very bad game and start thinking that what we did was all wrong and what the other do is all good.

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All basketball eyes in Europe are on the Euroleague Final Four in London, taking place in O2 Arena this weekend. Real Madrid, FC Barcelona Regal, CSKA Moscow and Olympiacos Piraeus (last year's champions) are only two wins away from winning the most prestigious basketball title in Europe. 

RealGM sat down with Euroleague president Jordi Bertomeu to discuss the 2012-13 season, the new format of the competition, its biggest problems and the future of Euroleague.

RealGM: First of all, could you evaluate this Euroleague season from your perspective?

Bertomeu: The new format gave us very good results in terms of increasing attendance. Especially on Friday, when families got more opportunities to come to the games. Our TV ratings doubled comparing Fridays with Wednesdays. I think the second phase of the competition, Top 16, had a large success. We had many great games. Some people think it was probably a bit too long, but everyone said that it was very competitive. Also with one game left, only one team was secured its place in the playoffs, thus everyone had to compete from the beginning till the end. The traffic in the web, twitter and social media numbers comparing to last season were very good. We cannot say we're done, but it's the first year of this format.

RealGM: Could you explain why you decided to extend the Top 16 phrase instead of doing the same thing with the regular season? 

Bertomeu: Because when we decided to extend the competition, we had to be careful to not damage the product. To play more games just to play more games, it doesn't make any sense. People like to see the best teams play on the court. So we gave an opportunity for the best teams to enlarge the competition, but at the same time, we're maintaining the quality. As the compensation for the teams that cannot reach the Top 16, next year we will propose to the clubs that the teams that will not make to the next phrase can play in the Eurocup. They would have more games to play. At the same time, we have to protect the quality. With the previous format, there were groups of four teams in Top 16 and there were lot of tension. This year we had less tension and more quality. If we extend the regular season, the quality wouldn't not be the same.

RealGM: You've been talking a lot about the positive effect of playing games on Friday. At the same time, don't you think that this change creates troubles for domestic competitions?

Bertomeu: What we did is we gave an answer to the clubs who have been asking for a change. We had to leave Wednesday's for the Champions League (main soccer competition in Europe). I think there are no leagues that have trouble with this decision. In fact, there's no difference between playing games on Thursday and then Friday or Friday and then Saturday. And also most of the leagues help clubs and they play their games on Mondays. The only exception is probably the Spanish league.

RealGM: In your opinion, how important is it to maintain strong national competitions, or do you think Euroleague should be given a priority in Europe?

Bertomeu: For us it's very important, but the truth is that in last few years, with few exceptions such Germany, the overall level of main competitions in Spain, Italy or Greece decreased. That's why the international program is becoming more and more important. Clubs are asking for more games in Europe. They feel that this is what they need to give to their fans. For us, it's very important to keep European competition as strong as possible. We have the best competition than all region leagues and teams, which think domestic leagues are too small for them, want more games.

RealGM: Taking about the VTB league, at the beginning you were quite sceptical but now it seems that Euroleague 'became more friendly' with VTB. Is that correct?

Bertomeu: The only reason why we were a bit tough is that we didn't want any other competitions outside the structure. VTB was out of the structure and we had a conversation with them. I think there were good willingness from both sides and we came to an agreement. We did not want any other competition that would confuse people. I remember a couple years ago we had an opening game between Zalgiris and CSKA, and fans were confused is it VTB or Euroleague. We have to understand that fans want clear things and not to be confused. VTB could be like a Spanish competition. For example, Real Madrid and Barcelona play in Spanish competition but they also compete for the same trophy [as other European teams]. I think this is the main meaning of all of this.

RealGM: Lately there has been some tension between Euroleague and Panathinaikos. It seems that fining teams don't work, thus do you have any other ways to fight with teams that break rules?

Bertomeu: The truth is that this year, with the exception of Panathinaikos, overall the behavior of our fans was much better compared with last year. I would say that we used to have problems with Partizan and other teams in other places. But this has probably been the best year in history. Of course, we had problems with Panathinaikos, which I think is out of the normal expectations. They have to understand that they have to follow the rules. And of course, we cannot allow them to let 30,000 people in the arena if there are only 19,000 seats. Fans have to stay safe and enjoy games and this is our target. We cannot accept this behavior, having an open door to the games.

RealGM: Looking at the future, what would be the main thing you would like to improve in the near future?

Bertomeu: The best way to grow is that we focus on critical countries for us such as United Kingdom, France and Germany. We have strengthened our presence in those markets. We had a conversation with all of them and I think in a year or two that has to be our focus. 

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Nemanja Nedovic is projected as a mid-second round pick in the 2013 NBA Draft by Draft Express. As is to be expected for a talent young player, Nedovic was a yo-yo guy in his debut Euroleague season. The 21-year-old athletically gifted guard had many ups and downs, from a slow start to 16 points performance against Partizan.

But after making changes to the coaching staff, Nedovic’s adjustment to the top level was accelerated and he received more playing time. One of the most talented European point guards, Nedovic averaged 23 minutes per game in the Euroleague this season, averaging 9.8 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.1 assists.

However, recently Lietuvos Rytas again swapped their coaches by hiring Dirk Bauermann. Despite it's unusual practice, Nedovic says he already experienced that before and knows how to handle the transition. A member of the Serbian national team, Nedovic told RealGM that he has had 12 different coaches since 2007.

RealGM sat down with Nedovic in Vilnius to talk about his first season with Lietuvos Rytas, development in the Euroleague, his NBA dream and much more.

RealGM: First of all, could you talk about your first season with Lietuvos Rytas in general and how you developed your game in Lithuania?

Nedovic: I think it was the right move to come to Lietuvos Rytas. We all know it's a good club, which plays in great competition, Euroleague and VTB league. It was a good decision to come here. Talking about my game, I tried to develop every part of it, especially on the defensive end. With coach Dirk Bauermann here, I am working very hard on that part of my game. Also, I'm trying to improve my playmaking and shooting skills, and pretty much everything around that.

RealGM: You had a slow start this year, but later your role got much bigger. Did you foresee that happening?

Nedovic: As you said, the start of the season was a bit slow because I had to adapt. I'm still 21 years old and I'm not that experienced. It was a little bit hard to be away from home, but everything is fine now and it feels like home now.

RealGM: I heard that one of the reasons you signed with Lietuvos Rytas was head coach Aleksandar Dzikic who later got fired. Did you find it ironic that after the reason you got here, you started to receive more playing time after he left?

Nedovic: Maybe, but coach Dzikic was here when I just arrived. Like I said, it was a situation when I had to adapt and get to know my teammates. It was normal that I didn't play much at the beginning. As the season went along, I started to spend more time on the court. And now I feel very comfortable.

RealGM: Could you distinguish any games this season in which you learned the most this year?

Nedovic: All Euroleague games are special, because you learn from every single of them. If I have to choose one game, that would be a game against Partizan in Belgrade. It was special for me because I played in Belgrade again and it was a pretty much good game.

RealGM: As a former Crvena Zvezda player, did you feel hard-feelings at that game from Partizan fans?

Nedovic: I think I didn't leave a strong impression back then because I was young. And even though I played a lot games against them, I never had any conflicts or bad situations with them. They might remember my good games, but there's nothing negative involved in that.

RealGM: In your last season with Crvena Zvezda (Red Star) under coach Svetislav Pesic, you didn't receive much playing time. Could you explain why that happened?

Nedovic: We had a hard season in general, because before that I played at the point guard position for my whole career, even if it's pretty much short yet, but then coach Pesic moved me to play shooting guard. It was a little bit hard and the fans expected 30 minutes and 20 points per game from me. A year before that, Crvena Zvezda was almost disappearing and I was playing a lot, and everybody expected to happen the same again under coach Pesic. However, it was not possible because there were many good players, the system was different and the level of competition was different as well. The goals of the club were higher too. I still think I've improved a lot last year because the coach pushed me to work on my defense and my weaknesses. Despite not playing much, I still had good games. I believe I've improved my game and I cannot be disappointed.

RealGM: Until now, you have been playing under three different coaches this season. Could you name the differences between Lithuanian, Serbian and German basketball schools?

Nedovic: I would say that Lithuanian and Serbian basketball schools are pretty much the same. But the German school is more like an American school. I would not like to name the differences between the coaches because it is not up to me. Coach [Aleksandar] Dzikic, Darius [Maskoliunas] and Dirk [Bauermann] have their own qualities and I would not like to talk about it. But three coaches in one season - that is very strange. I've been counting two days ago that since 2007 I had 12 different coaches. I have no problems on adapting to new coaches, but I would like to stay under one coach for at least one season.

RealGM: Last season you signed a three-year contract with Lietuvos Rytas. Do you still think that signing a long-term deal was a good decision?

Nedovic: Yes, it was a very good decision. As I mentioned in the beginning, this is the right place to be for me. I have an option to go to the NBA after the season, but it's too early to talk about it yet. I feel very comfortable here and it feels like home.

RealGM: Many NBA scouts came to see you playing this season. What kind of feedback have they usually left?

Nedovic: I think NBA scouts are not allowed to talk to the players, but they did communicate with Tomi [Zubcic] and Milt [Palacio]. They told me that NBA scouts came to see me but nothing specific. However, it's a big honor and a big thing. The NBA is the best league in the world and it's great to know that NBA scouts are coming to Vilnius to see me play.

RealGM: Overall, are you a big fan of the NBA?

Nedovic: Actually, I am. I've been following the league since 2002. My dream is to play in the NBA, but first I need to finish this season and stay focused on Lietuvos Rytas. Then we could talk about the NBA Draft.

RealGM: When you watch NBA games, do you catch yourself thinking, 'if I were him, I would do this or that'?

Nedovic: I had moments when I was thinking how I would react in a particular situation. But honestly, I even haven't worked out with the NBA teams yet. After I finish the season, I'll have my first workouts with NBA teams and I'll see what is it about. I will see if I'm ready or not. But sometimes I was thinking what I would do if I'm in the game.

RealGM: Are you looking forward to this offseason and NBA workouts?

Nedovic: I still don't know which workouts I will participate in. All I know is that after I finish the season, I'll be practicing in Belgrade and then I'll go to Adidas EuroCamp in Treviso. I think after Treviso I'll go to NBA workouts, but I still don't know where.

RealGM: Are you going to play for the Serbian national team as well?

Nedovic: If the coach of Serbian national team calls me, I will be there. I think the pre-camp starts on the 25th of June and if my name is on the list, I'm going to be there. My summer is going to be busy, but at the same time, I'm looking forward to it. Honestly, I can't wait to go home, but I'm going to work very hard, I have to work on my individual skills and summer is the best time to work on your body and skills.

RealGM: With the Serbian national team, you've been playing together with Milos Teodosic, who is considered one of the top point guards in Europe. What have you learned from playing alongside Teodosic?

Nedovic: I've learned a lot. He helped me a lot, same as all guys because our national team is very experienced, [Dusko] Savanovic, [Nenad] Krstic, Teodosic. They are good and experienced guys and you can learn a lot from them, especially from Milos. We play at the same position and I can agree that he's one of the top point guards in Europe.

RealGM: How close are the players on the Serbian national team? Do you guys stay in touch with each other all season long?

Nedovic: I stay in touch with almost everybody. Even from Partizan. I have few friends from Partizan and we stay in touch all the time. And on the national team, there are older guys who always pick up the phone whenever I call them.

RealGM: Is there anything specific you enjoy about living and playing basketball in Vilnius, Lithuania?

Nedovic: It's very impressive how much people love basketball here. Before I came here, I didn't know that, but now I see how much people love Lietuvos Rytas and Zalgiris here, or any other club. Wherever we go, the gym is almost always full. Also Vilnius is a nice city, not too big or small. Just the weather… But my teammates say it's going to be nicer [laughing].