Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Round 8 of the 2025-26 EuroLeague season
Pregame quotes, Round 8: 'The plan is for Spencer Dinwiddie to play'
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Thursday, October 30
Zalgiris Kaunas vs. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (19:00 CET)
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Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv vs. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (20:05 CET)
Sasa Obradovic, Crvena Zvezda head coach
"This team knows how to play collectively, the players have been there for several years and they understand each other very well, so they have continuity of unity, which is a threat. They will be even better over time, we are in a specific situation, we know what an away win means, it would be a big win. We are in a situation where we need the integration of injured players and new players, but all of that can also disrupt us."
Stefan Miljenovic, Crvena Zvezda guard
"A dangerous and difficult team. It's a strange feeling that we are playing in Pionir as guests. We will also have the support of our fans. We have to stop their individuals, the biggest threat is certainly Lonnie Walker."
FC Bayern Munich vs. Virtus Bologna (20:30 CET)
Gordon Herbert, Bayern head coach
"It's the same scenario as last season; back then, they also came to us after a loss in Kaunas. We have to keep that in mind. Bologna has enough quality to bounce back—they’ve already claimed big wins over Panathinaikos, Monaco, and even Real. Our really strong performance against Real won’t mean much if we can’t repeat it against Bologna. Carsen Edwards had a great year for this club. It’s good to see him back at SAP Garden on Thursday. The plan is for Spencer [Dinwiddie] to play on Thursday. But we’ll only make the final decision shortly before the game, once we know how things stand with him and the team."
Dusko Ivanovic, Virtus head coach
"In the game against Zalgiris, the way we started and the way we finished the game is absolutely not what we want. We need to improve on many things, but especially on this aspect, and tomorrow we will have another opportunity to do so. We will play against a team that beat Real Madrid here at home in the last EuroLeague round: they are an excellent team, they play well, and we will have to do our best to redeem ourselves."
Alessandro Pajola, Virtus guard
"We're approaching this game with the desire to redeem ourselves after the Kaunas match: we'll need to approach the game much better, trying to limit turnovers and playing as a team in offense. Bayern are coming off a home win against Real Madrid, so we'll also need to be good at managing an electric atmosphere after their last game."
Valencia Basket vs. Dubai Basketball (20:30 CET)
Darius Thompson, Valencia guard
"This is a difficult season for all teams. No one is really safe against anyone. You go out there every night and try to do your best and see how far you can go each day. Because anyone can beat anyone or be beaten by anyone. So you don't really look at each opponent thinking they're better or worse than another team. You just go out there and give it your best shot. We got the win last night and we'll try to do the same on Thursday."
Nate Reuvers, Valencia forward
"In this competition, every game is really tough; there are no easy games. It's great to have the fans here at home; they give us energy. We're up against a very talented team. We have to do what we can to play our style, play our way. If we can do that, we'll have a chance to win. They have good inside players, so we have to give it our best again tomorrow and try to get the win. I feel really good so far. It's the same system as last season. So I feel like I'm continuing to develop and improve every year. And I'm also feeling more comfortable with the team. I think we have a great team this year. And confidence is key."
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs. Paris Basketball (20:30 CET)
Ettore Messina, Milan head coach
"Paris Basketball is a team with great athleticism and speed, playing at the highest tempo in the EuroLeague, a team that tries to elevate the number of possessions. Taking care of the defensive transition and, above all, of the great energy that they have attacking the offensive board, with all five players, will be crucial to win this game, along with continuing to move the ball quickly on offense, balancing shots from inside and outside the right way."
Real Madrid vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (21:00 CET)
Sergio Scariolo, Real Madrid head coach
"We're facing a very demanding doubleheader. The first thing we've worked on is recovering from yesterday's game, especially mentally. Now we're facing the Euroleague champions, a team of the highest quality, physically imposing, with great physical strength and a lot of scoring talent. We have to be able to turn the page, take the court with determination, and, above all, maintain that determination throughout the game with the help of our fans, who have always supported us in our home games and have always left happy with their team's victory."
Walter Tavares, Real Madrid center
"Fenerbahçe is a very difficult opponent as they are the reigning EuroLeague champions. They are a well-established, experienced team that knows how to win. Real Madrid vs. Fenerbahçe is a classic, a very exciting game, but also a very difficult one, and we are going to try to do what we are doing well, which is to protect our home court with our fans. We have to be ready at all times because it will be a 40-minute game. If we play one or two bad quarters, it will be very difficult to win because Fenerbahçe is a team that knows how to manage the pace, and it will be very tough for us. We have to be in the game for the full 40 minutes."
Sarunas Jasikevicius, Fenerbahce head coach
"Well, first of all, in Madrid, we want to see the reaction from us. We want to see a better defensive performance. Madrid will come after the loss very motivated, and we need to match that intensity and really focus on many post-up situations for their frontcourt players and the creation of Campazzo."
Nicolo Melli, Fenerbahce forward
"It's going to be, for sure, a very tough game. We're both coming from a loss. Playing against Real Madrid is always a special game. It's, I would say, already a must-win game. I think it's going to be tough. We need to recover energy after this tough game and try our best to win the game."
Friday, October 31
AS Monaco vs. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (19:00 CET)
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Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv (20:15 CET)
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Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade vs. FC Barcelona (20:30 CET)
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Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul (20:30 CET)
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