Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Round 16 of the 2025-26 EuroLeague season
Pregame quotes, Round 16: 'This is a game we have to win'
Article
8 Mins read
Tuesday, December 16
Dubai Basketball vs. Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv (17:00 CET)
Jurica Golemac, Dubai head coach
Maccabi is a very good transition team with a lot of talent, a team that is playing – the last two weeks – great basketball with a lot of qualities, with experience, a team with a coach who is there for a long time. So the key is going to be to stop their easy baskets, to stop their best shooters. It’s not going to be easy, but as a team we can do it.
Filip Petrusev, Dubai forward
“We need to just improve on some things that we struggle with, defensive rebound, and just play better defense and focus on the things they like to do and know individually what they want to do. And you know, try to play at our pace. We play a home without fans, though, so we need to create our own energy. I think individually, their ball handlers are really, really good. They know how to pass, but they also have some really talented offensive players. Still they want to play one-on-one and score the ball, so going to need to contain them and play good defense, which will allow us to play better on offense.”
Oded Kattash, Maccabi head coach
“For us, it’s another EuroLeague game, but without fans – something we’re already used to. We’re back in Israel, hoping to return to normality, and I hope games without fans will soon disappear. It’s not an easy place to play; they have a lot of injuries, so we’ll need to see who plays and who doesn’t. When their roster is complete, they’re a very good team. Even with the injuries, it will still be a very tough game.
T.J. Leaf, Maccabi forward
“They’re a very talented team, with a lot of weapons. It’s going to be very tough, but it doesn’t matter whether it’s home or away – it’s a very important game for us and we’re taking it extremely seriously. Even when things weren’t going well for us, we felt connected because we knew we were in a process. Now we’re on a bit of a run, but nothing has changed – we’re keeping our feet on the ground. It’s an important week for us and we’ll try to extend the streak. Petrusev and Kabengele are very talented; it will be a challenge against them, but I’m confident we’ll be able to stop them.”
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (18:45 CET)
Sarunas Jasikevicius, Fenerbahce head coach
"One of the toughest tests for us of the year. Panathinaikos has a very good roster. Their guard play is also good. The three of them, Nunn, Sloukas and Shorts, are extremely difficult to handle and guard one-on-one, so we will need a lot of team defense and team concepts, and find ways to attack their ball pressure. Don't forget about the big man rebounding and some situations where they can punish us with the three-point shots."
Nicolo Melli, Fenerbahce big man
"Of course, a very important game, a tough game whenever you face such an important team like Panathinaikos. You know, sold out for us is always an extra boost, but also extra responsibility. We want to do good in front of our fans. Hopefully, it will be a good game. It's a home game. We need to win, to keep this streak going."
Ergin Ataman, Panathinaikos head coach
“Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul are in good form, having won their last six EuroLeague games, so it will certainly be a tough match. From our side, however, we need to start winning again, because after four consecutive victories we have suffered two defeats. It will definitely be a difficult game and we are ready to fight for it… For me, the key to winning this game is offense. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul mainly switch on defense, so we must attack without making mistakes and, of course, have good shooting efficiency.”
Jerian Grant, Panathinaikos guard
“We are excited about this matchup. They are the champions from last season. We are ready. They are one of the best teams right now, and if we want to be the best, we have to go out there, play our game and beat them.”
Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv vs. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (20:05 CET)
Dimitris Itoudis, Hapoel head coach
"We have to deal with a team that has established a different style of play lately. Due to some absences, they are using a lot of small-ball lineups, spreading the floor, and playing five-out. They have several very good isolation players who can generate a lot of offense, and that’s something we have to match. On top of that, they bring a lot of energy and athleticism. The five-out game requires a different level and dimension of defensive effort, and that’s something we are trying to implement and prepare for."
Yam Madar, Hapoel guard
"Crvena Zvezda is an excellent team. It will be a tough game, and we’ll need to be at our best to win."
Sasa Obradovic, Crvena Zvezda head coach
"It was important for us to play well yesterday [in the ABA League], and even though the players went deep into the red zone, I was afraid we might lose another player. Every game, you lose one or two guys. The stress levels are very high, and it’s not easy to react tactically under those circumstances. We still have players who are adapting and returning from injury. We have to learn from this and maintain the right attitude toward the club. We’ve set big goals for ourselves, and the schedule will only get tougher. Maybe it’s psychologically challenging for them as well since they’re playing away from home, but in Israel, for example, it’s easier than at home—say, in Bulgaria, on their home court. They are a Final Four–level team and they punish every mistake we make on offense."
Donatas Motiejunas, Crvena Zvezda center
"For me, they (Hapoel) are one of the most complete teams in the EuroLeague. Their record shows it, and the way they play shows it as well. They’re experienced and know how to play. So once again, it will be a 40-minute battle. We have to be consistent for all 40 minutes, not just 30. We’ll try to attack them—they’re a high-quality team—and we hope they won’t be as efficient offensively as they usually are. As for the atmosphere, we’re not expecting anything special. We play in an incredible atmosphere at home, so it doesn’t affect me much. I understand—they’ve been waiting for this. There will be a lot of people, they’ll be supportive and loud, but it’s nothing new for us."
Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Valencia Basket (20:15 CET)
Giorgos Bartzokas, Olympiacos head coach
“It’s a very difficult game. We need to get back to winning and our opponent is a very good team. That’s evident from the standings, from the way they play, from their statistical numbers, and also from my personal appreciation of their coach. I believe he is a very good coach. They are a team that keeps improving as time goes by. I don’t think I need to say anything about the pace and intensity they play with — everyone knows that. Everyone shoots: their 4s, their 5s; they spread the floor very well and have good spacing. We need good defensive play, good decision-making on offense, and good control of the tempo in order to win the game.”
Tyler Dorsey, Olympiacos guard
“Valencia are playing very well. They are one of the most in-form teams in the EuroLeague right now. For us, this is a game we have to win. We’re playing at home after two losses, and it’s a must-win game. We have to find a way to get it done. We need to take it personally, both on defense and on offense. Basketball is a simple game. You don’t need to overanalyze everything.”
Jaime Pradilla, Valencia center
"We know they're a team that plays very well together, generating plays based on their ball movement, and we know it's going to be a tough game on a very difficult court. We know it's going to be very difficult to win tomorrow's game here. Their inside players are at a very high level. We're going to try to stop them and control the rebound so that we can also get into our rhythm on offense. I think the key, more or less as we've done so far this season, is to try to implement our rhythm of play and then let the game dictate where it goes from there. But we'll try to play our game and then enjoy ourselves and fight until the end."
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs. Real Madrid (20:30 CET)
Peppe Poeta, Milan head coach
"We face a Real Madrid coming off four consecutive wins, so they are in great shape, with a lot of talent, depth and well coached by Sergio Scariolo. For us, gathering all the mental and physical energy back after the Italian league battle with Bologna will be the first goal. Playing with the right flow and having some good pace offensively will help us to play a game that will need to be a courageous one."
Sergio Scariolo, Real Madrid head coach
“Watching Milano’s recent games puts us on full alert because they’ve delivered great performances and big wins against Panathinaikos and Virtus, not just winning but dominating those games. This tells us we’re facing a team with a lot of talent across nine or 10 rotation players, all with tremendous experience. Ellis brings different qualities and is doing very well, but the rest have great know-how, toughness, and the ability to compete at a high level. I believe Milano’s true level is higher than what the standings currently show. On our side, the focus we bring to the court will be fundamental because they have players capable of scoring even very late in the possession. We must be ready to defend for the full 24 seconds because Milano has three or four players with the composure and experience to do something dangerous and meaningful with 2, 3, or 4 seconds left — not a rushed shot like less mature or less experienced players might take.”
Walter Tavares, Real Madrid center
“We approach this game with a lot of desire because it’s a key matchup for us. We’ve won four straight, but the standings are tight with many teams tied, so we need to try to get another win and then see what the others do to move up a bit. In any case, we have to give everything because we’re playing away, and road games are always tough… The key is to keep doing what we’ve been doing lately: stay calm, stay focused, and fight until the end, knowing that away games are difficult and we’ll need to be concentrated from start to finish to have a chance. Our only goal is to improve every day and try to be as high as possible in the standings.”
Paris Basketball vs. FC Barcelona (21:00 CET)
Xavi Pascual, Barcelona head coach
"They set a fast pace, they're a team that plays very well in the opening seconds and scores a lot of points. Normally, in games against them, the number of possessions is very high. Therefore, it's a game in which, beyond being able to counteract them a little defensively, above all, we have to play well in attack, because if we want to win, we'll have to score. We have to be clear about that. Then, we also have to control the rebound, as they are a team that rebounds very well, presses all over the court, and causes that constant acceleration of the tempo. And with the schedule we have, we can't just play a back-and-forth game, but we'll have to control the pace a little bit throughout the game. I think we've played very well in the last four games, regardless of whether we beat ASVEL [in the EuroLeague] or Gran Canaria [in the Spanish League], but the last four have been very good and we have to keep going. It's not that we've only just started, but it's true that it's a whole process and there's a long way to go, and we have to keep going. Now we've finished this week and we're starting a new one, but the problem is this: in this last game, we had to give some players a lot of minutes because it was difficult to manage the minutes, but we pulled it off and now we have to think about the next one. The feeling is good, but we have to keep going."
Kevin Punter, Barcelona forward
"They play very, very fast. They are a talented team on their court. So we are going to have to, as in recent games, arrive, be mentally focused, prepared, and try to win a tough game away from home. We are taking it one game at a time. Tomorrow is Paris, so we are focusing only on Paris, focusing on their strengths and weaknesses, and continuing to take it day by day and game by game."
Wednesday, December 17
Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul (19:00 CET)
--
LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. FC Bayern Munich (20:00 CET)
--
Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. AS Monaco (20:30 CET)
--
Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade vs. Virtus Bologna (20:30 CET)
--