Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Round 27 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.
Pregame quotes hub: 'The team really welcomed me right away'
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February, February 28
Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. ALBA Berlin (18:30 CET)
Luca Banchi, Anadolu Efes Istanbul head coach
"We had a pretty long break before the EuroLeague regular season started again and for us was the opportunity to take some time to recover, especially because of the injuries we suffered. We arrive at this game with some uncertainties, but with firm motivation to have a great game. We have a big respect of ALBA Berlin, their system and the talent of their players. That's why we expect to have a solid performance, being consistent from the beginning with a proper approach, without forgetting that every single game in this competition for us will have a special value."
Rodrigue Beaubois, Anadolu Efes Istanbul guard
"We are entering the most important part of the regular season. We have eight games left and we must find a way to get as many wins as possible. ALBA Berlin is a dangerous team... We must be very careful and be ready to compete."
Virtus Segafredo Bologna vs. Olympiacos Piraeus (20:00 CET)
Dusko Ivanovic, Virtus Segafredo Bologna head coach
"We face Olympiacos after the pause, during which we worked very well with the eight players who stayed in Bologna. We will also see how the others, who returned from their national teams' commitments, will respond. In any case, to win this game, it will be necessary to fight and battle."
Momo Diouf, Virtus Segafredo Bologna center
"We are expecting a tough team. They can count on very strong players with points in their hands. We will have to play as a team, stay together, put a lot of energy and physicality by pressing full court."
Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos Piraeus head coach
"Eight games are left till the end of the regular season, and no team has given up. All teams are fighting till the end, even those that have zero chances to make it to the playoffs. Virtus is a good, competitive team, and they play very well, especially on their home court. They have experienced coach and experienced players like [Toko] Shengelia, [Marco] Belinelli and [Isaia] Cordinier. They are very competitive and very proud to not fight for the win. It will be a tough game. As far as it concerns us, we must follow our plan and play our basketball in order to head to Greece with the win."
Giannoulis Larentzakis, Olympiacos Piraeus guard
"It is the first game after the break, but we worked hard this period of time, and I hope that tomorrow we will show our good face and that we will get the win. Our goal is to finish as high as possible in the standings, and why not in the first position? Of course it is not going to be easy. Virtus is a good and experienced team, but if we stay focused on our game plan, we can make it."
Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade vs. Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (20:30 CET)
Zeljko Obradovic, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade head coach
"Both Baskonia and we had many players away with their national teams, but there was also time for some players to rest. I assume they took advantage of that. They are saying that this is a very important game for them, but it is for us as well. They are talking about tactical changes before the match, but that is nothing new, as I know Pablo Laso well – he tends to do that and will certainly try to surprise us with their game. We have tried to react and think about what those changes might be. In any case, this is a very important game for us after the break we had. We have completed two training sessions with the full squad, so we will see how everything looks tomorrow. I would like to ask all Partizan fans to support us, as they always do. Due to recent events, our arena capacity will be reduced by 20% tomorrow, and once again, I urge them not to insult anyone or throw objects onto the court. Instead, I encourage them to focus all their energy solely on supporting the team."
Vanja Marinkovic, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade forward
"I think the break was beneficial for the guys who were in a tough rhythm, allowing them to get some rest, while I used this period to get back in shape after my injury. We are ready to face Baskonia, a team that also had many players away during the national team break. I'm glad that I will be playing against my former club, where there are still many people I care about. I’ve stayed on good terms with many of my former teammates and continue to follow their performances in the EuroLeague and the Spanish League."
Pablo Laso, Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz head coach
"It's a difficult game. I think that Partizan's court is the most passionate and challenging in Europe. They have a very good team, a very athletic team. They have improved as the season has gone on, something that was expected because they had a lot of new signings. It took a lot for us to beat them here at home [in Round 1], and we're anticipating a very difficult game. With regard to us, we have trained well these last two weeks; we've had training sessions, we've been able to rest. I think the first week was very good when we still had the internationals. The work we did with those who stayed was very good, too. We had some bad luck with Kamar [Baldwin]'s injury and the minor injury of Sander [Raieste], although with Sander I'm pretty optimistic [that he can play against Partizan]. With Kamar, this week, no."
LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (21:00 CET)
Ergin Ataman, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens head coach
"After the two-week break, we will start the last part of the EuroLeague season. We will play eight games: four games at home and four on the road. The reality is that we must win five games minimum to protect a top-four position. This is a must. Less than five will be very difficult. ASVEL maybe has the aim to reach the playoffs, the play-in, but for us it's a very important game. We beat them in OAKA with a huge difference, but ASVEL plays different and very well on their home court. They won their last home game against Barcelona and scored 100 points, so for us it will be important to play well on defense to control the game. [Tibor Pleiss brings] experience, experience. He's a player who knows my system and I said yesterday in our practice that we only have one player who has more titles in the team, Kostas Sloukas. Tibor has big results in the EuroLeague with Efes, with me, and now it's not easy immediately, but in practice he was very good. We know we have had problems in the center position and we don't know exactly when [Omer] Yurtseven will be 100% ready, nor when [Mathias] Lessort will come back, so we took Tibor as security. I don't know how many minutes he can play, but even if he plays fewer minutes, he can give something to the team. Last week, we were in a bit of panic about [Wenyen] Gabriel's situation because he had a problem with his knee, then he was sick, but he had a good practice. He said that he's feeling good, so I hope before [this next] practice the doctors will not come to see me."
Tibor Pleiss, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens center
"I played with Ergin for a couple of years so I'm really used to his style of basketball, although the last time I played with him was one and a half years ago, so I know a couple of plays but not all of them. The team really welcomed me right away. Yesterday was my first practice and everybody tried to help me, so it was easy for me to adjust and feel like a part of the team."
Thursday, February 27
Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade vs. Zalgiris Kaunas (20:00 CET)
Ioannis Sfairopoulos, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade head coach
"Zalgiris is an extremely strong team, they are still fighting for the play-in and playoffs. We know they have the second-best defense in the EuroLeague, while we are the best. So, I expect a tactical game from both teams. On offense, we have to read how they defend us and have the patience to find the best solutions. We have players with minor injuries and those with fly. I hope all goes well and we end up with the best possible roster available."
Filip Petrusev, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade forward
"I expect a good game. We are aware that it is a frenzy between our supporters; everyone is looking forward to the game and it is very important. Let's understand the seriousness and that it won't be easy. With the departure of [Lonnie] Walker, it is known which player will take most of the possessions and attacks, and especially the responsibility when the game breaks down. Of course, I mean [Sylvain] Francisco. He is the number one, the other players will try to jump out and get more space after the departure of an important player."
Andrea Trinchieri, Zalgiris Kaunas head coach
"My nature is to be a dreamer. Dreams are for free. We know that it is very difficult, it is extremely difficult. The next opponent is a hot one playing in a very crazy environment. As I said, we need to dream, we need to build an opportunity. Every day is a good day to build an opportunity. Every day is a good day to think positive, to stay hungry, to fight, to compete. This could be one of the toughest games that we could face, and we will miss players, but it's the spirit, the thing that you have inside, that can push you over your limits. Every possession will be very important. We need to man up, we need to stay together. We need to play good basketball, we need to play hard, we need to resist, and play the best possible game."
Paris Basketball vs. FC Bayern Munich (20:30 CET)
Gordie Herbert, FC Bayern Munich head coach
"This is an interesting and challenging game for both teams, not only because of the tight standings. We all had a break, both teams were eliminated from the cup, and players were away with their national teams – six of ours were gone. We definitely need to try to control their pace; with their speed, they are hard to stop. The Paris guards are outstanding offensive players and can change games with their tempo and intensity. We need to match that intensity."
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs. AS Monaco (20:30 CET)
Ettore Messina, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan head coach
"We are both teams disappointed by the epilogue of their respective national cup tournaments. However, we prepared well in order to approach this final EuroLeague stretch in the best possible way, knowing how important every game is from now to the end. Returning to a good ball circulation and to a defense capable to generate transition opportunities will be crucial to defeat a team extremely deep and with great aspirations."
Vassilis Spanoulis, AS Monaco head coach
"Milan is a dangerous team, so we've been warned. These last eight matches are crucial for us. We need to play with great intensity and mental strength."
Matthew Strazel, AS Monaco guard
"We've got eight EuroLeague finals to play for. We'll have to be ready. Milan has a lot going for them, but so do we. The team that gives its all will win. I think Daniel Theis is going to bring us a lot. He can switch, defend on the outside, and he's active on the rebound. We needed his profile, and I think that bodes well."
Real Madrid vs. FC Barcelona (20:45 CET)
Chus Mateo, Real Madrid head coach
"We will play against FC Barcelona, a rival that, like us, needs to win badly, and we know how to play for the playoffs. Now we have many direct games with teams that are directly involved in this fight to enter the playoffs and we will try to make a good final sprint. Hopefully we will be able to achieve it because that is the next objective. Barcelona will go out as Barcelona always goes out, giving 100% and trying to reverse a situation that is not very favorable to them either. I am sure that we will come up against the best Barcelona possible, I have no doubt. We will try to do our job with conviction and trying to fight for every ball. We will do everything we can to win a really important game for us because a victory would give us a lot of optimism for the end of the season."
Sergio Llull, Real Madrid guard
"We are looking forward to the return of the EuroLeague. We will play a vital game for us against a direct rival, which is a Clásico, a special game, and I hope our fans will support us and help us to get that important victory. Our goal is to reach the playoffs and try to finish as high as possible. That means securing a win tomorrow, securing the home games and trying to win some away games as well because this EuroLeague is becoming more and more competitive and evenly matched. I expect a wounded Barcelona after their elimination in the Spanish Cup, a team that has had time to prepare for this game and that will come out to bite from the first moment."
Joan Penarroya, FC Barcelona head coach
"It is a very important game and we are looking for a victory that would allow us to get the tiebreaker against a direct rival with seven games left to finish the regular season."
Tomas Satoransky, FC Barcelona guard
"Obviously we are in a pretty bad moment. We lost the opportunity to fight for the Spanish Cup and we have many injuries. We have to get out of this situation with what we have, there is no other way. The EuroLeague is very close and now we have a very complicated game against a classic rival and we have to go with the mentality of being positive, even though it is the most complicated moment of the season."
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (21:00 CET)
Oded Kattash, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv head coach
"We needed that break – it was good for us, especially mentally. But we're still going to miss two or three important players for us, so it's not going to be easy against a great team like Fener. It's going to be a really tough game for us. I remember the first game against them, we missed [the chance to steal the win] in the end. Hopefully we will have a better result this time."
Will Rayman, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv forward
"It'll be nice to get back to our second home in Belgrade. I think we had a really good week in the cup and I feel like there's a good spirit right now, so we're excited to go and play some basketball. "
Saras Jasikevicius, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul head coach
"Maccabi is a very specific basketball team. They are coming off a great win at the cup. Like always, one of the best teams in transition basketball and offensive rebounds. Taking away easy points and making them play half court will be very important."
Nicolo Melli, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul forward
"Every EuroLeague game is a tough one. We’re coming after the break so we need to find our rhythm immediately. Maccabi is a tough opponent. They like to run so we need to be good at transition defense. But overall, we just need to play our basketball and that’s what we will try to do."
