Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Round 5 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season
Pre-game quotes hub: 'Saben Lee will have to take a major role'
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We are already four rounds into the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season, with Round 5 seeing one game on Wednesday, five on Thursday and three on Friday. Ahead of Round 5, we bring you the pre-game quotes from all the teams in one place. This page will be updated with the thoughts of the players and head coaches of all 18 teams competing in the EuroLeague.
Wednesday, October 23
Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade vs. Virtus Segafredo Bologna (20:30 CEST)
Zeljko Obradovic, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade head coach
"Black and white ones come to us from Bologna. They still don't have a win, but that's exactly what is the biggest danger of tomorrow's game. For that very reason, he will go out on the field with great motivation. Virtus is an outstanding team that is covered in all positions. They have an established system from last year with clear ideas. We watched the video and prepared for the game. As always when it comes to the EuroLeague, we will have to give our maximum in terms of concentration and desire and what adorns our team, which is maximum engagement from the first to the last minute."
Sterling Brown, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade guard
"It's gonna be a fight. They'll come here hungry and they have something to prove and they gotta get the first win. It is an away game for them, we gotta come out and do what we do and execute on both sides of the court. We have to play hard and come out to win."
Luca Banchi, Virtus Segafredo Bologna head coach
"The game against Partizan will have to be approached with physical and mental toughness, in order to contain an opponent that, especially in home games, knows how to exalt its own characteristics that to date make it the best team in the league in terms of scoring percentages from the arc. Ball handling, rebounds control and a collective spirit of sacrifice will be the keys to put an opponent in trouble that is back from two convincing wins in the previous week of the EuroLeague."
Matt Morgan, Virtus Segafredo Bologna guard
“We have to play hard for 40 minutes trying to get our first win. We have to do everything we can and control what we can control. They have a great home crowd, but we have to stay focused on ourselves. If we play together, smart and as a team, I don't think the crowd will be a problem."
Thursday, October 24
Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (19:00 CEST)
Andrea Trinchieri, Zalgiris Kaunas head coach
"I expect an extremely difficult game. Maccabi is playing very well, despite all the situation they have to face with injuries, but every team has got injuries. They are playing with great aggressiveness and athleticism. It is a game where our system will be stressed. We need to play a very solid game for 40 minutes, trying to be smart and efficient. After three road games, we come back home and I hope we are going to have a lot of push from our fans, playing at home."
Oded Kattash, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv head coach
"We are trying to do the maximum possible. We will not have many guards and Saben [Lee], who was not with us all week, will have to take a major role. We hope that we will practice at night, and we will do our best against a good team that started the season well. We will have to stick to the main things to stay in the picture, to close the rebound against the best rebounding team in the EuroLeague so far and to use team defense against their guards. We will play in lineups we are not used to and try to use it to our advantage. Perhaps it will be slower compared to what our fans are used to seeing. We may have to slow down the game more. There is no doubt that it is not ideal, and we will have to be creative. Hopefully things will work out for us."
Jake Cohen, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv forward
"We have a tough game tomorrow. Zalgiris had an amazing win last week that will give them a lot of confidence, and we will need to put our best effort forward to get the win in a challenging environment."
AS Monaco vs. Paris Basketball (19:00 CEST)
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Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. ALBA Berlin (20:30 CEST)
Israel Gonzalez, ALBA Berlin head coach
"It's still early in the season – all the teams are still trying to find their rhythm. I've obviously known Pablo Laso for a long time, but Baskonia's results last week also make it difficult to make predictions at this stage. We're focusing primarily on ourselves and want to improve further in the game against Baskonia."
Martin Hermannsson, ALBA Berlin guard
“Beating Baskonia at home is difficult. Pablo Laso is one of the best coaches in EuroLeague history. He has a very talented team that has gained confidence in the last weeks. For example, Baskonia beat Real Madrid in the EuroLeague, which underlines their home strength. But they also performed well in the Spanish League and won away at FC Barcelona. It will be tough, but I'm convinced that we have a chance of winning if we play with confidence and leave everything out on the court.”
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul (20:30 CEST)
Ettore Messina, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan head coach
"Efes is a team with great offensive talent and experience, with many players who have been together for years – first with Coach Ataman and now with Coach Mijatovic, who is working on that same path. For us, it is a game to be approached calmly. We will have to build the game possession after possession with defensive attention and the search for the best possible shot on offense. To achieve this we will all have to play with calm and focus, especially during the most complicate stretch."
Zach LeDay, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan forward
"The fan base's support, especially during the home games, is crucial. It is up to us to involve our fans with our energy. We have to do it tomorrow against Efes because I know that when we are able to do that, our people are great at helping us overcome the bad moments. For us this is important because we have a lot of young players and it is the job of the more experienced players like myself to help them."
Real Madrid vs. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (20:45 CEST)
Chus Mateo, Real Madrid head coach
"Crvena Zvezda is at the top of the standings on its own merits, because it has competed very well in these first few rounds and has been a very difficult team to beat. They have very good players, a very good coach, a physical team that defends very well and has points, so tomorrow we expect a very demanding game."
Eli Ndiaye, Real Madrid center
“I think it's good for us to play at home with the support of our fans to try to keep on winning. We will try to follow the path we followed last week when we face a very tough and very physical team like Red Star, which has also started the season very well. I think they are in good form, they have good players and it will be a tough test for us. If we want to achieve our goal of winning, we have to be ready to overcome the difficult moments that will come during the game and give our best."
Ioannis Sfairopoulos, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade head coach
"It is always difficult to play in Madrid, but on the other hand we will organize our game. We know what we have to do. The most important thing is to fight for every possession, for every ball. Tactically, we will follow what we practiced on both ends of the court."
Rokas Gedraitis, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade forward
"Real is an extremely difficult opponent. We have to play good basketball in defense, above all. They have size, quality players; it will be difficult, but we have a chance. Everything has to start from the team defense, we know how good they are. I would say they have a good rotation, a very, very good team."
Friday, October 25
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (19:45 CEST)
Sarunas Jasikevicius, Fenerbahcee Beko Istanbul head coach
"A very difficult game. Obviously, Panathinaikos presents a problem with a lot of talent. They have the same team. They are gonna be very motivated after a couple of losses. This is what we need to do; learn from mistakes we committed in the semifinals in Berlin, continue getting better and integrate new players."
Wade Baldwin, Fenerbahcee Beko Istanbul guard
"We are playing against the [reigning] champions. We lost our last EuroLeague home game. It’s important that we come out with the right energy, right focus and get a win. We are in a good position right now, and we need to continue our trend forward."
Ergin Ataman, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens head coach
"Fenerbahce has showed great performances so far in the beginning of the season, they only lost against Crvena Zvezda. It will be a tough game, we have some problems with forwards, some important players who have a health problem now, but that's the reason we have a long roster and we go there to win the game. Sloukas is an experienced player and I believe day by day he will reach his real performances because, for me, he is the best point guard in the EuroLeague, and he showed that in the Final Four."
Cedi Osman, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens forward
"It's gonna be a fun game. We really do respect them a lot, they are a really good team. They will definitely come out strong. We need to be patient, we are playing away, we have to be mentally strong. I believe that if we do these things, we will be able to win."
FC Barcelona vs. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (20:30 CEST)
Joan Penarroya, FC Barcelona head coach
"We have to focus on tomorrow's game. I know it is very obvious and what the coach has to say, but the competition is very tough and it is showing that if you are not very focused on the game ahead of you, it will be difficult to get a win. We are playing against a team that is doing things right, with outstanding physicality and players that attack the rim, with the experience of a player like Nando De Colo. They are playing well in the EuroLeague and in their national league, and it will give us a lot of trouble. Thinking on what's next after this game does not do any good to us, going on a tour to play three road games. I don't think that the game against ASVEL will be less complicated than the next three. We are focused on ASVEL, and above all, on us trying to do things right."
Juan Nunez, FC Barcelona guard
"I am feeling good but am adjusting. I am in that process. I think that it was hard for me in the beginning, playing in a different place, in a different league and a very demanding competition but little by little, I am adjusting and, I think, in the right way. I am happy and looking forward to keep playing and keep winning games. We have a tough schedule in the upcoming 10 days, but we have to be together. We are still a good team with high-quality players. We have to be together and look to win the next four games. Theo Maledon is playing very well, and it is good to see young players playing at a high level in the EuroLeague. Nando De Colo is a great player. It is always cool to watch great players in action, and I always liked to watch him since he was with CSKA. It will be great to play against him."
FC Bayern Munich vs. Olympiacos Piraeus (20:45 CEST)
Gordon Herbert, FC Bayern Munich head coach
"Olympiacos is a powerhouse in the EuroLeague every year. For us, it will be crucial to secure defensive and offensive rebounds to create easy scoring opportunities. In the half-court, we need to be careful with the ball. I don't know if they are the best opponent we've faced so far. But every EuroLeague game is tough and a battle; we have to come out and win those duels and fight."
Carsen Edwards, FC Bayern Munich guard
"Playing against Olympiacos will be tough; they are so talented. We need to show our best game and focus as much as possible on the things we’ve planned. But we’re playing at home, and we want to take advantage of that, play hard, and limit our mistakes."
Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos Piraeus head coach
"Bayern is a team that average scores more than 100 points in its home court. If we want to have a chance, we must control the pace, we must have patience on offense, take the right decisions and do not allow them to go into a run and gun game. In my opinion, these will be the key factors of the game. As far as it concerns our game, we must improve our defense and go harder on rebounds. We work on that. The good thing is that Milutinov is back in action. Still, we will miss Goss. He practiced today with the team, and he did travel to Munich, but he is not ready for tomorrow's game."
Moustapha Fall, Olympiacos Piraeus center
"Bayern is a very good team. They have good players in every position. In order to get the win, we have to make the right decisions on offense and go back to defense quickly, because if we don’t do that, they will punish us. In the previous game against Anadolu Efes we made the mistake to put them back into the game. It is forbidden to do the same mistake against Bayern. We must control the game from the start to finish."