Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Round 27 of the 2025-26 EuroLeague season
Pregame quotes, Round 27: 'To compete with Dubai, you have to play a great game'
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Thursday, February 5
Dubai Basketball vs. Real Madrid (17:00 CET)
Jurica Golemac, Dubai head coach
"We expect that the gym is going to be full, that the fans are going to give us this energy that we need, especially in this double week. Real Madrid is one of the best teams in the league. They are showing this. We need to play our most focused game of the season, the most physical game. You cannot stop one player and say that you did your job. They have 12 players that are amazing, with great quality. We're going to need to be extra focused and physical."
Dzanan Musa, Dubai forward
"Against my former team, it's never easy to play against your friends. But I'm representing Dubai now, so I can't wait to come out on the court and be in the game. It's not going to be easy, of course. Real Madrid is a powerhouse of EuroLeague basketball, it's going to be very difficult to beat them. We need to be focused for 40 minutes on our game plan, and I think if we execute we will win the game."
Sergio Scariolo, Real Madrid head coach
"Well, it’s definitely a different kind of experience, right? A long trip after a very tough game, without two very important players like [Gaby] Deck and [Theo] Maledon, who we obviously missed in Athens. Still, our focus is on recovering as much as possible, both physically and mentally, with our eyes already on the next opponent.
"[Dubai is] probably one of the three or four most talented teams in the EuroLeague in terms of scoring depth, with many players capable of putting points on the board. They’ve proven they can win convincingly against top-level opponents like Fenerbahce and Olympiacos. To compete with them, you have to play a great game.
"We’re still in an ideal position heading into the final stretch of the regular season, but it’s true that as the number of remaining games goes down, each one carries more weight. Every game matters, and they all have a significant impact on the fight for the top spots."
Alex Len, Real Madrid center
"Every game from now until the end of the season is just as important as the next one. We only have 12 games left, and if you look at the standings, there are about seven teams with the same number of wins. So we understand how much every game matters. We’re just trying to take it one day at a time and go out there to get the win.
"They’re a very good team. They know how to score the ball and they have a lot of talent. But if we come in focused and start the game on the defensive end, I think we’ll have a chance to beat them."
Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv vs. Valencia Basket (20:00 CET)
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Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade vs. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (20:30 CET)
Joan Penarroya, Partizan head coach
"We’re facing a very serious opponent, and one of the favorites to win the competition. We had a tough game yesterday, and now another one is already ahead of us. Recovery will be very important, especially since we’re still dealing with a shortened rotation. The key for tomorrow is to come out with the right mindset from the start and try to perform even better than we did in the last game. We hope to put together a strong performance, and we know our fans can play a big role in helping us achieve that."
Isaac Bonga, Partizan forward
"We’re expecting a very demanding and tough game. Panathinaikos is a team with a lot of individual quality, they play at a strong pace, and they have a coach with huge EuroLeague experience. Their talent allows them to go on big runs and turn games around. Our job will be to stop their momentum and keep control of our own throughout the entire game."
Ergin Ataman, Panathinaikos head coach
"Partizan is always a big team that deserves respect in every game. It will be another important match for us, as we will try to get a road win in order to continue improving our position in the standings."
Juancho Hernangomez, Panathinaikos forward
"We are focused on tomorrow’s game. Partizan lost an important game to Maccabi yesterday, where they actually played better. It will be a tough game. We are going there to fight and to get the win. The key for us is defense. They play at home, with their fans, and they have talented players. They can score at any moment, so we have to be aggressive defensively and stay together in a difficult environment."
FC Bayern Munich vs. AS Monaco (20:30 CET)
Svetislav Pesic, Bayern head coach
"Monaco remains a favorite to reach the Final Four for me, after they were in last year’s final and the team shows a lot of continuity with few changes. They lost on Tuesday, but we all know how difficult it is to play in Kaunas, where Zalgiris is having a very strong season. So we’re not interested in that result. It will be a tough game and we still want to try to replicate our recent performances."
Wenyen Gabriel, Bayern center
"Monaco is a very talented team, we know that from the first game. I hope we keep our defensive identity and again give everything for a win."
Paris Basketball vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (20:45 CET)
Justin Robinson, Paris head coach
"Obviously it's been a tough stretch in the EuroLeague. Up and down, trying to get over the hump. But this game is a huge test for us with Fener being the hottest team in the league right now. Great players, great coaching staff. For us, it's going to be a huge one, a huge moral victory for us as well. Just kind of seeing where we attest from the first game of the season to now and seeing if we can get them back for the loss that we had in Istanbul and get a win in Paris."
Sarunas Jasikevicius, Fenerbahce head coach
"When playing against Paris, the most important thing is their speed. And not to get involved in their basketball, play Fenerbahce basketball. We really struggled lately with rebounds, and this is something that we need to do because Paris is one of the best at offensive rebounds."
Mikael Jantunen, Fenerbahce forward
"It's going to be a tough game. Paris plays very high-paced basketball, and we've got to find ways to make their night uncomfortable. And a special evening, of course, going back after two great years to Paris. But all the focus is on the game, a big game from the team. And we're going to play a good game to get a win."
Friday, February 6
Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Zalgiris Kaunas (18:30 CET)
Pablo Laso, Efes head coach
"Zalgiris Kaunas is a very solid team and I think they have three excellent point guards, each different but capable of playing together. Sylvain Francisco, Nigel Williams-Goss and Maodo Lo all create for them and with Dovydas Giedraitis back, they have even more depth at that position. Across positions 2 through 5, they are very solid, with high basketball IQ and distinct roles: Dustin Sleva as a shooter, Moses Wright inside, Azuolas Tubelis as an all-around player and Edgaras Ulanovas as a classic Euroleague player. It will be a very difficult game for us. Zalgiris is having a great Euroleague season and playing at a high level. One of our best games this season was in Kaunas, but we know how difficult it is to match up with a team playing so solidly. We have to keep working on our identity as a team, because if we don’t play well collectively, we will suffer against a team like Zalgiris."
Ercan Osmani, Efes forward
"We made a good start to the double-game week by defeating Valencia. Now we are facing Zalgiris. It is one of the most historic teams in the EuroLeague and they are competing well this season. Our goal is to finish this game with a victory as well. Afterwards, we want to win all of our remaining games and finish the league in the best possible position."
LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (20:00 CET)
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Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade vs. Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv (20:00 CET)
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Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Virtus Bologna (20:15 CET)
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Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. FC Barcelona (20:30 CET)
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