Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Round 12 of the 2025-26 EuroLeague season
Pregame quotes, Round 12: 'We need to take the next step'
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8 Mins read
Wednesday, November 19, 2025
LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. AS Monaco (20:00 CET)
Vassilis Spanoulis, Monaco head coach
"In the Euroleague, there are no easy games. ASVEL’s standings at the start of the season mean nothing to us; we’re approaching this game with a lot of focus and determination. We believe in ourselves and our strengths, and we’re ready for this game."
Nikola Mirotic, Monaco forward
"We’re coming to Villeurbanne to win. We’re having good practices, we know our strengths and weaknesses, and the team is still looking to improve. This is a point in the season where we need to take the next step. We still have room for improvement to achieve more consistency and regularity, which we’ve lacked since the start of the season."
Thursday, November 20, 2025
Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. FC Barcelona (18:30 CET)
Xavi Pascual, Barcelona head coach
"Efes is a team with a very deep roster which has very important injuries, without a doubt, but even with that, the players they have are very good. We have to be focused and play very well to be able to win. It's a very dynamic team, and they also play a lot of minutes with two players who can play power forward and center [Ercan Osmani and Rolands Smits] which makes things more difficult. It is the kind of team that is not the one that best fits our characteristics. We have to play a very good game, and very balanced at both ends. And it won't be easy, because the players will give their all, but logically, there will be a new coach, and since they will give their all, there will also be a moment of pressure, because they will be able to show what they can so, and we need calm, tranquility in the most difficult moments. I'm very happy to be back in the EuroLeague, I feel like a EuroLeague coach, and not being there, for me, was complicated."
Dario Brizuela, Barcelona guard
"We are playing against a team that has a lot of talent and very mobile power forwards like Osmani and Smits, so in that sense they can make things complicated. We are talking about a very versatile team. As we did throughout the season, I think that being solid on defense is key, especially when you play on the road. If you go to a road game in the EuroLeague and you allow 100 points, you have great chances to lose. That will be the key, and then on offense, keep trying to be ourselves. Getting a road win in the EuroLeague is like winning twice because it is very difficult. In the situation we are in, it would be great to win. When you play for Barca, the goals are the highest ones, no matter who the coach or the players are. Xavi [Pascual] arrived here and has full confidence in our roster. He feels we can compete for everything and that is linked to how we felt since the first day of the season."
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens vs. Dubai Basketball (20:15 CET)
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EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs. Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv (20:30 CET)
Ettore Messina, Milan head coach
"We're facing a team with enormous talent and depth. We'll need to play a game based on courage, cohesion, and pace, while also counting on the support of our people in the stands. The key aspects for us will be defending the players who create scoring for Hapoel and controlling the rebounds."
Armoni Brooks, Milan guard
"Hapoel is a very talented team, with a Final Four-caliber roster. We're facing a tough game and executing our game plan will be crucial. We have some absences, but like we did against Olympiacos, we want to embrace the challenge, focusing on our depth because on this team, everyone has occasionally been able to step up when needed, and it doesn't depend on one or two players."
Dimitris Itoudis, Hapoel head coach
"They are coming in with four straight wins - very important wins - and they have the personnel to win games in a variety of ways. They can play small ball, they use different lineups, and they have great ball-creators. They use a lot of switches, and their bigs are experienced and athletic. Overall, Milan has a deep roster. I don’t know who will be available and who won’t, so we’re preparing for each and every one of them."
Collin Malcolm, Hapoel forward
"Every EuroLeague game is tough. Milano has some really good, experienced players. We just have to make sure we control the game at our pace."
Real Madrid vs. Zalgiris Kaunas (20:45 CET)
Sergio Scariolo, Real head coach
"I think we are facing one of the best teams in this first games in this EuroLeague season. Offensively, they are really good, with high shooting percentages and the ability to run the break, especially after forcing turnovers, which they know how to go They have the ability to play one-on-one, especially through Francisco and Lo. We have to keep having the ability of getting a lot of high-percentage shots like we did until now but obviously, trying to make them. That is what changes everything completely, even when it comes to being more fluid and having more space in the paint. We have to keep working to generate those shots and take them in practice to try to grow in that sense."
Usman Garuba, Real forward
"Zalgiris is a team that had a very good start of the season and is playing great games. They had a great start and it is going to be hard for us tomorrow, but we have to be ready. The team is ready to face this new challenge. I think this game is important in order to keep taking steps forward in the EuroLeague, which is what we all want, to keep improving. Defense has to be our main strength because if we play good defense, everything else will flow. We have to try to play great defense in this game to stop Zalgiris's game. This is a strong test at home and we have to try to add a win at Movistar Arena, always pushed by our fans. That would be very important for the whole team."
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Friday, November 21, 2025
Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Paris Basketball (20:15 CET)
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Virtus Bologna vs. Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv (20:30 CET)
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Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (20:30 CET)
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Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. FC Bayern Munich (20:30 CET)
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Valencia Basket vs. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (21:00 CET)
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