Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Round 22 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.
Pregame quotes hub: 'Fenerbahce is a strong candidate for the Final Four'

Friday, January 17
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. Zalgiris Kaunas (18:45 CET)
Saras Jasikevicius, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul head coach
"Zalgiris is the best defensive team in the EuroLeague. It is extremely difficult to score against them. They are a team that can change their defensive strategies game to game, quarter to quarter. They are extremely versatile defensively and offensively. A lot of shooters. They usually play with four shooters at a time. So it is really important to understand what kind of players are guarding and obviously try to limit [Sylvain] Francisco and [Lonnie] Walker as much as possible."
Dyshawn Pierre, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul forward
"It will be a hard game. They play with a lot of energy. Back to back wins are important to finish off the double week."
Andrea Trinchieri, Zalgiris Kaunas head coach
"We play against another big team. They are a strong candidate for the Final Four. They're big, they're long, they cover the court very well on defense, and this is, besides all the things you need to do in order to compete against them, playing against their length and their switching defense is one very important topic for this game. It's a double week, if we're talking about tactics and Xs and Os, remain hungry and build on the win from [Wednesday], trying to regenerate and refresh mental and physical energy will be the keys for this game."

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade vs. AS Monaco (20:00 CET)
Ioannis Sfairopoulos, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade head coach
"Monaco is quality... They have players with the talent to play one on one, they are good as a team. So, as I said, we have to be significantly better if we think we have a chance. On the other hand, we also have to be smart in attack, look at where we have an advantage and attack in the right way at the right time. I expect the reaction of the players and together with the fans to fight for a positive result."
Vassilis Spanoulis, AS Monaco head coach
"Against Bayern, we lacked seriousness and concentration. You can't show two different faces in two halves, it's not possible to play like that. Even if I liked the way we fought afterwards, that's not the way to win a game."

FC Bayern Munich vs. Virtus Segafredo Bologna (20:30 CET)
Gordon Herbert, FC Bayern Munich head coach
"Bologna is a team with nothing left to lose, which makes them dangerous. They’ve been playing much better in recent weeks and are well-organized. Our win against Monaco only matters if we also win this game."
Dusko Ivanovic, Virtus Segafredo Bologna head coach
"Bayern is an excellent team, with very good shooters: they are the team that shoots the most from three-point range, with a very good percentage. They open the court very well, they play fast, so it will be a very difficult game. But we have to improve on how we played yesterday against Zalgiris, especially at the beginning of the game."
Momo Diouf, Virtus Segafredo Bologna center
"For tomorrow's game we will have to take the court focused and start from the beginning with energy. They can count on experienced players, quick and good shooters, we will have to be united for the whole 40' and help each other."

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (20:30 CET)
Ergin Ataman, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens head coach
"I don't expect any reaction, it's a different game, a different arena, a different opponent, a coach with a lot of experience. They may not be in a good position in the standings, but in reality, at home, it's a different and better team. It will be a different game and our team will play its own basketball, so I hope we find a good atmosphere and we will try to get the win."
Omer Yurtseven, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens center
"I think we always just look forward and look ahead to the schedule ahead of us. One day at a time. Recover, work on it today, and we'll be out there competing tomorrow."

FC Barcelona vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul (20:45 CET)
Joan Penarroya, FC Barcelona head coach
"It's a different game against a different opponent. We need to have a good game, a game full of energy, and a game where we are in front of our fans. The energy of Palau Blaugrana is a plus for us. It's a difficult opponent with high-quality players who have won multiple EuroLeague titles. We can't think about the last game, we need to focus on a tough opponent in Efes."
Chimezie Metu, FC Barcelona forward
"The group is very happy as the win [against Panathinaikos] was a big win. We needed it, and on Friday too. Every team in the EuroLeague, and Efes as well. It's the second time that we're playing them and it's very important to get another victory."
Luca Banchi, Anadolu Efes Istanbul head coach
"We expect a very tough game. FC Barcelona is actually in great shape. They collect three wins in a row, they will present their best roster with one of the best scoring guards in the entire EuroLeague [Kevin Punter]. That's why we have to prepare ourselves very well. Taking care of details in Paris was not so good for us. We must approach the game with a good consistency, physicality and use all our talent to take a win which can finally reignite our season in the EuroLeague."
Elijah Bryant, Anadolu Efes Istanbul guard
"FC Barcelona is a great team, and we have to approach the game with consistency and fight, especially on the road. Every game is an opportunity, and we can’t afford to take any of them for granted."

Thursday, January 16
LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. ALBA Berlin (20:00 CET)
Israel Gonzalez, ALBA Berlin head coach
"ASVEL's roster consists of a very good mix of experienced players like [Nando] De Colo, [Tarik] Black, [Joffrey] Lauvergne and young players like [Theo] Maledon, [Neal] Sako and [Melvin] Ajinca. This combination also characterizes ASVEL's play and brings consistency to the team. They bring a lot of quality to the court, especially at home in Villeurbanne, which is why it will be a big challenge for us on Thursday – especially in the double-game week."

Paris Basketball vs. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (20:30 CET)
Oded Kattash, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv head coach
"There are some offensive things we did well yesterday, and we need to build on that going forward. Defensively, it's a completely different game. Paris plays at a very high and unique pace compared to other EuroLeague teams, and in the first round, they surprised the entire EuroLeague with their style of play. During a double-game week, it’s difficult to prepare tactically for the second game, but we’ll try to build on things we did in the first game and do them better, especially in an away game. They don’t do many offensive things, but they execute at a very high level, and we’ll need to try to slow them down, which we weren’t able to do yesterday."

EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (20:30 CET)
Ettore Messina, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan head coach
"We face a great opponent, a team that, after a difficult start, has raised its performance by obtaining many significant wins including with the last one in Villeurbanne. For us it is essential to continue to show on the court the defensive improvements produced in the last period, and to continue to move the ball against a very athletic defense like that of Partizan."
Nikola Mirotic, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan forward
"We are aware that the moment of the season is crucial, but we must take it one game at a time without looking too far ahead. Today, our thoughts are all about the game against Partizan. For some time now, we have had a better understanding of ourselves and how to play together. Injuries have affected us, but at the same time the guys staying on the court had the opportunity to develop confidence. For me personally, playing alongside Zach LeDay is fun and makes everything easier because there is chemistry and mutual trust, and we know we can count on our teammates, especially on defense."
Zeljko Obradovic, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade head coach
"We had a good game in Lyon, but there’s no time to celebrate. We arrived in Milan this morning and managed to fit in a training session, which was more of a discussion about the good things, but also the weaker points from the game against Milan in Belgrade. We tried to correct those and will do our best to win tomorrow’s game, which is very important for us. Milan has an excellent team, with players like [Nikola] Mirotic, [Zach] LeDay, and [Shavon] Shields, but of course, the rest of the roster is also very strong. There are a lot of things we need to focus on, and it certainly won’t be an easy game."
Iffe Lundberg, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade guard
"We'll review the footage, as we always do, and try to prepare as best as possible for the next game. There's only a short amount of time between the two games, so we need to get ready quickly. We hope that our fans will support us tomorrow, just as they did in Lyon."

Real Madrid vs. Olympiacos Piraeus (20:45 CET)
Chus Mateo, Real Madrid head coach
"We face a tough game against Olympiacos, a team that has two of the best scorers in the EuroLeague in [Evan] Fournier and [Sasha] Vezenkov, a team that knows how to play, that has very well established its defensive rules and its style of play. Olympiacos is coached by a gentleman of the sport in [Georgios] Bartzokas who, year after year, proves that his style of play is worthy of being champion. In addition, they have players of a very high level, one of them very dear to us, Nigel Williams-Goss. We have been doing a good defensive job, although Maccabi managed to take the game to many possessions and had extraordinary percentages. We were able to take the scoring to extraordinary levels as well and I am very happy for the victory, but now we have to keep thinking about winning. Olympiacos will not allow so many offensive possibilities and we have to do the same."
Eli Ndiaye, Real Madrid center
"Olympiacos is playing very well and we expect a tough game. We have to defend very well because they have very good players with many points in their hands. We have to come out from the first minute with a lot of concentration and energy, with a good balance between offense and defense to counter their strengths, which are many. Defense will be key tomorrow and I think that a good part of our chances of victory will depend on it. We have improved a lot since a month ago, winning very difficult games and tomorrow we have to continue on the same path."
Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos Piraeus head coach
"It was expected that after injured players would come back, they would find their rhythm. Real’s game is more consistent after [Dzanan] Musa returned. They have good players and a good coach, and I was sure that they would be back on track. They have 6 wins in a row, and that says a lot. In our between game, the most important key factor will be which team will be more fresh, since we both come from back-to-back games."
Kostas Papanikolaou, Olympiacos Piraeus forward
"I am blessed to be a part of the Olympiacos family. This team has helped me to achieve a lot in my career, and I am grateful. Tomorrow we play against a great team. They are in very good shape; they have six wins in a row, and we expect a tough game. In my opinion, the key factor will be the defense. We have to play hard and follow the game plan."
