When last seen in this space, Hearts Of Midlothian’s owner Vladmir Romanov was not only refusing to apologize for his habit of selecting the side’s starting XI, he accused journalists who reported as much of “spreading manure on my crops.” LIttle wonder then, that Romanov’s equally intrusive acts with his Lithuanian pro hoops squad, Zalgiris Kaunas, were meant to be top secret. From BallinEurope.com :
During last week’s Euroleague match with Power Electronics Valencia, Ilias Zouros (Zalgiris’ third this season, for those of you keeping score at home) was spotted on camera more than once conspicuously consulting a scrap of paper, then re-tucking it into an inside jacket pocket.
When questioned by Lithuanian media about the suspicious scrap, Zouros stated that, as a new coach, he still hadn’t memorized some set plays and so wrote them down. Zouros’ purported naivety with the squad made for stark contrast for the eye-popping 42 substitutions Zalgiris made during the match.
Zouros’ cover was soon blown at a “Zalgiris Members Club” event. At a Q&A session for club members, one early query centered on *that* paper. Zalgiris general director Paulius Motiejunas dodged the question a bit as he explained that “the owner’s position is to balance the players’ physical condition [while] letting others improve. To accomplish these goals, he contributes to the preparation of the game plan and its execution is ensured by coach assistants.”