Nikola Mirotic's debut for Milan will be the center of attention following arguably this summer's most high-profile transfer, but Fenerbahce will be determined to spoil the former Barcelona forward's night by defending its home court.
Pre-game quotes: Fenerbahce vs. Milan

Nikola Mirotic's debut for Milan will be the center of attention following arguably this summer's most high-profile transfer, but Fenerbahce will be determined to spoil the former Barcelona forward's night by defending its home court. The Turkish team's boss, Dimitris Itoudis, has strengthened an already powerful roster with the acquisition of new stars, like experienced big men Georgios Papagiannis and Sertac Sanli, whereas Mirotic is joined at Ettore Messina’s Milan by dangerous playmaker Maodo Lo and athletic forward Alex Poythress for a matchup between two teams with high aspirations. Fenerbahce fans will ensure a red-hot atmosphere for this high-level affair on Friday night.
Dimitris Itoudis, Fenerbahce head coach:
We are playing against a very good and experienced team. Milan is a team that has been built to go all the way through in this year’s EuroLeague. They are full of creators and executors, with tons of experience from coaches to players. So, we need full concentration and motivation. We are happy that we will play in front of our fans. Hopefully we are going to have a full house. We are going to give our best to play the best possible game.
Ettore Messina, Milan head coach:
The start of the EuroLeague is always difficult for everybody and in our case, we'll face one of the most competitive team, on the road. Obviously, playing a very high-level game will be crucial. Controlling the boards and communicating effectively, both on offense and defense, will be the key to earn the chance to win the game.


Melih Mahmutoglu, Fenerbahce player:
We are starting the new season in the EuroLeague facing a strong opponent. Milan is a good team and they want to perform much better than last season. It is an advantage for us to play with such strong teams at the beginning of the season; we want to see what level we are at and improve by learning lessons as a team. We will want to play in front of our fans and take advantage of this to win. Of course, we will also be excited to host a very special basketball icon once again in our home, at Ulker Sports and Event Hall, which is also his home. Gigi Datome is a very special friend to us, a very special part of the Fenerbahce family. It will be great for both us and our fans to see him here once again. A very special opening evening awaits us.
Nicolo Melli, Milan player
For me personally, every game against Fenerbahce especially in Istanbul, is a special one. On top of it, it is the first Euroleague game, so we are extremely motivated to do well. Obviously, we'll face a very strong team benefitting enormously from the home court advantage impact. It will be a very challenging game. We'll do whatever it takes to compete for 40 straight minutes and try to enter in the competition the right way.