Experience will count for little when the Euroleague final four begin this weekend, according to CSKA Moscow coach Ettore Messina.

The Italian has led the Russian giants to a record sixth consecutive appearance at the event, and as a three times Euroleague champion is the only one of the four coaches to have won the continent's elite club competition.

He coached Italy's Bologna to the championship in 1998 and 2001, and took CSKA to the title in 2006, but said experience did not necessarily give him an advantage ahead of Friday's semi-final against local side Tau Ceramica.

"I made my first appearance in the final four in 1998 in Barcelona, with other great coaches there, and went on to win it as a rookie," Messina said.

"I hope another rookie doesn't do it and that my players take good care of me."

He faces Tau's Croatian coach Neven Spahija, who although making his debut in the final four, leads a team making their fourth consecutive appearance in the season ending event.

They lost home and away against the five-times winners and last year's losing finalists CSKA during the regular season, but Italian guard Pablo Prigioni was upbeat about their chances.

"The last couple of times we got to this stage we had suffered changes in players and coaches in the build up. This time round we have had a settled side all season and as a result are in better shape," he said.

The second semi-final sees outsiders Montepaschi Siena of Italy meet 2004 and 2005 winners Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv of Israel.

Italian champions Siena have been the season's surprise package under hometown-boy Simone Pianigiani, who only stepped up from being an assistant coach in 2006.

Their consistency contrasts strongly with the up-and-down season experienced by their more illustrious opponents, but Pianigiani was not about to take up the tag of favourites.

"You are always underdogs when you play Maccabi Tel Aviv," he said. "They have a great tradition in this tournament and have the best offence in the competition this season.

"But we reach this stage with only six defeats like them and have done well to get past teams such as European champions Panathinaikos and Partizan Belgrade. We are ready for them."

It has not been a vintage season for Maccabi, who replaced coach Oded Kattash with Zvi Sherf in January, but they beat Real Madrid and Barcelona to reach the semis.

"Teams may be inconsistent but when they get to the final four everyone hits their best form," said Siena's Pianigiani. The final and third-placed playoff are in Madrid's Palacio de Deportes on Sunday.

Reuters