The Estonian men's national basketball team are in action against Italy in Milan on Friday evening, in their first game of the 2022 FIBA (International Basketball Association) EuroBasket finals.

Estonia faced Italy twice during the qualifying campaign for the tournament, losing by six points at home, and recording a four point victory on the road after overtime.

However, Siim-Sander Vene, who is one of the Estonian squad's most experienced players, said, that once the EuroBasket gets underway, previous meetings between the two sides will matter little.

"These previous games won't count for anything tomorrow. The teams are quite different and the it's a slightly different style of tournament. I think we still have a chance," Vene told ERR.

Vene, who has played club basketball in the Italian league for two different  clubs, Reggiana and Varese, says passion is a characteristic feature of the Italian game. "They're always passionate and their head coach is a very passionate guy," said Vene.

"They play free-flowing and pretty fast basketball. The discipline is more or less in place, but (they play) fast and there are plenty of long range shots. For them, the game should be attractive."

Around 12,000 spectators are expected to attend the game in Milan. "The more the merrier. The atmosphere is also part of the game. There is nothing to be afraid of," said Vene. "That's why we're playing this game, to have a big crowd and a good atmosphere. It makes everything more fun and enjoyable."

Speaking to ERR on Thursday, Vene was pleased with the Estonian team's preparations for the opening game. "The plan is beautiful, but how it will look in the game, we'll see tomorrow. Overall, I think we're more or less ready," he said.

According to Vene's teammate Henri Drell, who has also played club basketball in Italy, for Victoria Libertas Pesaro, the crowd in Milan are likely to have a big impact on the outcome of Friday's game. "The Italian crowd is wild. You have to get used to them," said Drell.

"They're definitely going to go crazy tomorrow. If we do badly, they'll start shouting at us that we're bad and evil. But I think that's a good thing - it makes you angrier and can give you more motivation," Drell said.

Drell believes the Estonian team will live up to its pre-tournament reputation as talented and ambitious. "I think everyone feels good. We're young, we're ambitious, we're passionate. What more can I say? We're going to play well," he said.

Estonia were drawn in Group C for the tournament, meaning, as well as Italy, they will face Greece, Croatia, Ukraine and Great Britain in the first round.

The 2022 men's FIBA EuroBasket finals basketball match between Estonia and Italy gets underway on Friday, September 2 at 22:00 Estonian time.

--

Follow ERR News on Facebook and Twitter and never miss an update!