Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Round 22 of the 2025-26 EuroLeague season
Pregame quotes, Round 22: 'It was the loudest arena I have ever played in’
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Wednesday, January 14
Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade vs. Olympiacos Piraeus (19:30 CET)
Joan Penarroya, Partizan head coach
"We need to put together a strong performance. Olympiacos has been one of the top teams in recent years, and this season they’re among the favorites to win the EuroLeague. They’re led by an excellent coach, have quality players, and they’re active on both ends of the floor. We’ll need to play at a very high level for all 40 minutes if we want to compete with them."
Cam Payne, Partizan guard
"I know they’re a very good team and that they’re playing really well. We’ll need to come out aggressive from the start and try to find a way to win the game."
Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos head coach
"Partizan are weakened based on their position in the standings; if you look at their roster and quality, you wonder how that’s possible. They are a team that shows it is not cohesive—when a situation develops that is not pleasant for them, they let it go. They have talent, a good coach, and the games are especially tough in Belgrade. We are not expecting anything different from a difficult match. I wouldn’t like to give a percentage regarding our level of readiness. Morris is absent and Jones cannot play in this game; the others are available. We have a good roster, Ward has returned, and McKissic is included in the squad. We are having good practices and playing well lately; if we continue our upward trajectory, we will be a tough opponent for anyone."
Evan Fournier, Olympiacos forward
"It’s never easy to play at Partizan’s home court. Last year, when I played there, it was the loudest arena I have ever played in. It was a very tough atmosphere and an intense game. We are expecting a difficult battle. They have made some changes and we’ll see."
Thursday, January 15
Dubai Basketball vs. Virtus Bologna (17:00 CET)
Jurica Golemac, Dubai head coach
"Every game in the EuroLeague is very tough. [Virtus] is a team that is very disciplined, maybe the most disciplined team in the EuroLeague. They are playing good, very smart, using their weapons very well. We had a chance [to win] in Bologna, but unfortunately we couldn't do it. Now we are playing at home, it's a new game. We are going to give everything to win the game and stay on the path for the playoffs."
Davis Bertans, Dubai forward
"I think in the middle of the table, every game is as important as it gets. A big one. We need to win the game to give us a better chance for the playoffs. As always, we've got to limit turnovers, play aggressive, get back on defense, rebound. They're small, key things, and if we do that every night we'll give ourselves a chance to win."
Dusko Ivanovic, Virtus head coach
"Difficult game against Dubai that is playing very well, especially at home, and for this game they will be all available. After a long travel, we have to be ready to play a game like this. Some of our players have to take more responsibility in a different position."
Daniel Hackett, Virtus guard
"Tomorrow we have an important game ahead of us, against an opponent that proved its worth both in the game played in Bologna and throughout the EuroLeague in general. They are a very strong and well-equipped team: they play physically, they play well and they play very well also in transition. We continue to face a bit of an emergency but we will do everything we can to play with our heads held high and try to win this game."
Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (18:30 CET)
Paolo Galbiati, Baskonia head coach
"[We will be without Markus] Howard, plus we have another situation to control. Efes is a very talented team. They probably won't have [Shane] Larkin, [Vincent] Poirier isn't 100%, but it's a team with players on the perimeter who are incredible. Saben Lee is a new addition, he's a player with a lot of quality. [Rodrigue] Beaubois, [Nick] Weiler-Babb, [PJ] Dozier. The big men are very athletic. It's a very complete team. But we have our own weapons, too."
Trent Forrest, Baskonia guard
"[We need to] be locked in to the game plan the coaches have for us, and go and play together. I feel like we definitely can do that. If we do those things, we can have a chance to win."
FC Bayern Munich vs. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (19:30 CET)
Svetislav Pesic, Bayern head coach
"After injuries and some new signings, Panathinaikos has found their rhythm – and in this form, they are always favorites, whether at home or away. So, facing such a complete team, we are up against a very big challenge. But we want to deliver our best performance and then we’ll see if we can still win the game."
Ergin Ataman, Panathinaikos head coach
"Bayern has an experienced roster and an experienced head coach. He knows how to coach strong teams, and Bayern is playing better basketball. [Andreas] Obst is in excellent form, and especially at home, Bayern performs very well and scores a lot. We need to play solid defense and control the tempo of the game. Every game is a must-win because we want to finish in the best possible position. In the past, there were times when we won very difficult games that were not considered ‘must-win’, and other times when we lost games that we were expected to win. What matters in the end is to be in a good position, but of course, the more games you win, the better. The game against Bayern, like all the others, is one we want to win."
TJ Shorts, Panathinaikos guard
"We know the schedule that lies ahead of us. We cannot look back. There is no easy game in the EuroLeague. We have to approach each game individually. The next game is against Bayern, and our focus will be there. Our defense will be the key. We made an excellent defensive effort against Virtus. We know it will be an impressive arena, the SAP Garden. We must remain focused on defense."
Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv vs. Zalgiris Kaunas (20:05 CET)
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EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (20:30 CET)
Peppe Poeta, Milan head coach
"We expect a very tough game against a Red Star team with a lot of talent and depth. It will be important to stay consistent defensively, especially in the first few seconds of any possession, to avoid getting hurt against their transition game. Our goal is to extend our good run, and engaging our fans will be crucial to achieving this."
Armoni Brooks, Milan guard
"We want to ride our momentum and generate even more enthusiasm among our fans, as we did in the game against Efes. We know it will be a tough match-up, and the support of our fans will be a great help. For me, it's great to feel the confidence from the coaches and my teammates, but the key is to follow the game plan and play with a lot of patience."
Josh Nebo, Milan center
"It will be a tough game because they're coming off a couple of losses and will be hungry. We're coming off two wins, but we'll have to be just as hungry as they are and at least match their intensity. The Red Star roster is a talented one, so we will have to be ready for a battle with the goal of protecting our home court."
Paris Basketball vs. AS Monaco (20:45 CET)
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Friday, January 16
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. Valencia Basket (18:45 CET)
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LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv (20:00 CET)
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Real Madrid vs. FC Barcelona (20:45 CET)
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