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Leo Meindl, Cluj: 'I wanted to play in the EuroCup'

Leo Meindl, Cluj: 'I wanted to play in the EuroCup'

Interviews

29 November 20229 Mins read

Leo Meindl, Cluj: 'I wanted to play in the EuroCup'

U-BT Cluj-Napoca is currently enjoying its debut season in the 7DAYS EuroCup, and one player who has already announced himself to the competition is Brazilian small forward Leo Meindl. Despite having never played in the EuroCup prior to this season, Meindl has made an immediate impact, ranking fourth in scoring (18.4 ppg.), 12th in rebounds (7.2 rpg.) and seventh in PIR (19.2). He has been hitting 44.4% of his shots from downtown, too. Cluj has a 2-3 record in Group A, yet Meindl has been remarkably consistent for the Romanian team.

After growing up in his native Brazil, Meindl spent two seasons in Spain with Fuenlabrada before joining Cluj in the offseason. Once Cluj's offer arrived, and with the possibility of playing in the EuroCup, Meindl did not hesitate about saying yes, as he told us in this EuroCupBasketball.com interview. "Cluj proposed a very good offer from a sporting point of view, as I got here to be one of the main players in the team and play in the EuroCup, which is what I wanted," Meindl explained. "This is a step forward in my career and it's going well so far; the people like me here and this is a very good team."

Hello, Leo. Congratulations for beating Brescia. How great was it to win at home, knowing that you have such a big crowd behind you?

"Yes, the people here really love basketball and, for us, this is incredible. We play in front of 10,000 fans in each EuroCup game, and the home-court advantage makes things different for us. Our fans get us into it, shout a lot and do their best to motivate the team, which help us a lot. We are having a lot of close games, played point to point, and our fans often make the difference."

"We are here to compete"

Brescia hit 12 three-pointers before the break and only 3 after that. What did you change at halftime that worked so well?

"Well, we knew that Brescia is an offensive-minded team with good three-point shooters. We were making mistakes on small details, which allowed them to take open shots. Not all of their shots were contested and, at this level, if you take an open shot, the percentage is much higher. This is what we talked about. If we made a mistake on defense, we had to recover as fast as possible and contest their shots. That way, they would have a smaller chance to hit the shot. That is what we did: being more aggressive on defense and contesting the shots without making that many mistakes. We did well in the second half and managed to stop them."

It is your first season in Cluj. Was playing in the EuroCup one of your main goals?

"Yes, for sure. I have the dream of playing in the [Turkish Airlines] EuroLeague. I had been in Spain for two years and proved that I can play in the Spanish League. I had two very good seasons, and I wanted to play the EuroCup. Cluj proposed a very good offer from a sporting point of view, as I got here to be one of the main players in the team and play in the EuroCup, which is what I wanted. This is a step forward in my career and it's going well so far; the people like me here and this is a very good team. Everybody on the roster trusts me. I didn't know much about the team when I arrived, but I knew that they are professionals and wanted to compete well in the EuroCup, not just play it. I wanted to be in a winning team in which I could play a leading role, and it's all worked out [so far]."

Now that you are in the EuroCup, what do you think about the competition level and the organization?

"It's amazing. I like the rules on and off the court. In the EuroCup, you need to have a good structure to play in the competition. So, when you join a EuroCup team, you know that the club's structure will be very good. Moreover, there are very good teams in the competition, and that makes you a better player. I like everything about it – I love playing in the EuroCup, and I am very happy, to be honest."

Your next two games are against Frutti Extra Bursaspor and Joventut Badalona, two of the favorites to win the competition. Will those results be a good indicator of where Cluj stands right now?

"Well, we don't have to think much about our opponents' level. We need a good game plan and to follow it. In the end, [we need to] leave it all out on the floor and let the results speak for themselves. We don't need to think much about our opponents. We know these are two very tough teams, but we are here to compete. We will practice, have a game plan, play our game and see how it turns out in the end. If we win both games, these are not the wins of the season, and if we lose, we will not be that bad. We have to follow our plan, be focused, do what we have to do with a lot of heart and [then] see what happens."

You are a Brazilian player in Romania, which is rather unconventional. How is your daily life in Cluj?

"At first, I didn't know much about the country. Truth be told, you don't hear much about Romania in Brazil, so I was a little bit scared. I started to make some calls and contacted people who played here. I called Emanuel Cate, who is Romanian, played for Murcia [in Spain] last season and ended up in Cluj, too. Everybody gave me good feedback about the club and the country. I am used to playing in Europe after two years in Spain, and life in Europe is very good. There are a lot of things in Romania that are very similar to Spain, like Mediterranean food. It is a bit colder here, but the seasons are similar, too. I like it here. I knew that it is not very conventional to have Brazilian players over here, but maybe I am opening the way for other Brazilians in the future. I love being here, I like Romania a lot. I hope we will win a lot of games this season."

The World Cup is underway. Are you following Brazil's games?

"Yes, of course. I miss my friends and family, but I would miss that if I were in any other place in the world apart from Brazil. We have a wonderful tradition in Brazil to watch football together, especially during the World Cup, but I am alone right now. My family is coming for Christmas, so it is not an easy thing, because I will have to watch the games on my own. My family is there and I am here, but I have my goals. I came here to become a better player and a better person, and things like this are part of being a professional basketball player. I am not thinking too much about all this stuff, I just try to enjoy my life and keep moving forward. I am sticking to my goals, becoming a better player and better person [in the process]."

"I want to win as many titles as possible"

Back to basketball, everyone is crazy about the team in Cluj-Napoca. The club represents the city at the highest level. How cool is that?

"The club is really important in this city. The players are recognized on the streets, in markets, everywhere. All of the players are really appreciated here. There are two football clubs in Cluj, but there is a bigger basketball tradition. People know basketball and love to be there, watching games, supporting us, making the players feel like [they're at] home. Basketball is big here, and I like it a lot. Cluj is not a big city, but it is big enough and people love basketball. I love being here."

Are you in touch with any of the other Brazilians in the competition, such as Yago Dos Santos of ratiopharm Ulm and Vitor Benite of Gran Canaria?

"Yes, of course. We were together two weeks ago, with the national team. We talked a lot. Benite is in the other regular-season group, [but] Yago and I are in the same group. Many times, we need to know which player can do what. We were all in different leagues and different teams last season, too. We don't know all of the EuroCup players, so we get in touch with each other to say which player does what, what players are good at [certain things]. That way, we know our opponents' strengths and weaknesses – it helps a lot. Yago is out of Brazil for the first time and always has a lot of questions about how things are in Europe. We are always in touch, not just us three but all the Brazilian players in Europe."

What would make a good season for you, personally, and for Cluj?

"As a team, I want to win as many titles as possible in all competitions I play in. I want to win the EuroCup, the Romanian League and the Romanian Cup. I would only be 100% happy if we won everything. Personally, it is obvious that I am working really hard and doing all I can to be the best player in the competition. If I don't make it, it's OK, but my main goal is to help the team win titles. I know it is not easy, but this is the only way I would be 100% happy: winning the [EuroCup] title. It is every player's dream: winning all titles and being the best player in the competition."