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Pregame quotes, Round 9: 'We need to play as if it was a final'

Pregame quotes, Round 9: 'We need to play as if it was a final'

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Euroleague.net Staff

Pregame quotes, Round 9: 'We need to play as if it was a final'

Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Round 9 of the 2025-26 EuroLeague season

Friday, November 7

Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (18:30 CET)

Igor Kokoskov, Efes head coach

"We are going to play against a good team having a great coach and a deep roster. They have consistency with the same coach and same program for six years. They're really playing well. Some of their injured players are back now in rotation. We understand it is going to be a challenging game for us. Tough schedule is coming. We have five games in nine days, so every game is more difficult and tougher than the next one. We got to focus one game at a time. Milan is potentially a Final Four team. So, we must bring our best game to protect our home court."

Isaia Cordinier, Efes guard

"It is an important game for us. We are back at home in front of our fans to secure our home court and being back on the winning track. It will be a tough game against an experienced team who has the same record as us."

Ettore Messina, Milan head coach

"We face a team that, in the disguise of losing two very important players like Poirier and Osmani, found in the versatility of Smits and Osmani the key to open up space for the efficiency of very talented guards. In order to try to win this game, and Istanbul is a tough place to win, it will be decisive for us to have a solid defensive and rebounding impact."

Armoni Brooks, Milan guard

"Efes has high-level guards and physicality, but overall they're a very strong team. We'll have to match their physicality, don't let their physicality overwhelm us and set the tone right from the start."

Nate Sestina, Milan forward

"In Istanbul, we'll have to play a game full of energy and aggressiveness. Mostly, it will be important to play with the same physicality as them from the first possession, set the tone, stay together."

Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Valencia Basket (19:00 CET)

Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (20:15 CET)

Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos head coach

"We have a better record away from home - three wins in four games. The good thing is that we avoided traveling. However, a team that is solid can play well anywhere, and will always be ready to compete. The same goes for Partizan. They are a good team, and of course, we expect them to play better than they did in their last game against Dubai, because they have the coach, the quality, and the talent to do so. We have some issues regarding our preparation. [Tyson] Ward missed a day due to illness, but he returned yesterday. [Evan] Fournier didn’t practice yesterday because he was sick. He came today but won’t practice either - we hope, however, that he will be available for the game. [Nikola] Milutinov was also sick. All of them had a fever. Milutinov did practice today, and I believe he will also play tomorrow. We do have some problems, but I’m optimistic that we’ll overcome them and that everyone will be ready to help the team fight for the win tomorrow."

Kostas Papanikolaou, Olympiacos forward

"With so many games being played, you have to have a short memory - both in victory and in defeat. You need to reset your mindset for the next game, which is always the most important one. Partizan is a very good team, and the fact that they’re coming off three straight EuroLeague losses shouldn’t fool anyone. We need to stay focused, follow the coach’s plan, play tough defense, and with the help of our fans, get another win."

Zeljko Obradovic, Partizan head coach

"We’re facing a team built to compete for the highest goals in the EuroLeague. They’ve also had some roster issues, similar to us. We’ll be without Jabari Parker and Vanja Marinković, so they’ll stay in Belgrade. Olympiacos has an outstanding roster and they’ve been playing really well. Having the same coach for years gives them great chemistry and strong automatisms in their game. We’ve analyzed them thoroughly, and I hope we’ll show the same level of desire and energy we had in the game against Barcelona."

Isaac Bonga, Partizan forward

"It’s going to be a tough game. It’s never easy playing against them on their home court. We need to get back on track and play the kind of basketball we know we can play."

FC Barcelona vs. Real Madrid (20:30 CET)

Joan Penarroya, Barcelona head coach

"Controlling your emotions in games like these is always important. There's an extra emotional component. We'll wait until late tomorrow with Shengelia. He's taken part in half a session and we'll see how he is at the last minute. With Laprovitola, we have a good feeling, but we'll also be patient. We'll have to be solid in defense in what will be a very physical game."

Joel Parra, Barcelona forward

"Players are more motivated than ever in El Clásico. We want to make a statement and we have the opportunity to win in front of our fans. Small details will make a big difference.”

Sergio Scariolo, Real Madrid head coach

"We are playing the type of game everybody is willing to play. All EuroLeague games are important, even when none of them is decisive for the final standings right now. Emotionally and historically, this is a game with an extra notch of interest and passion around it. This is the way we want to experience it and of course, the players will bring the energy and enthusiasm on FC Barcelona's court to be able to play our best game."

Facundo Campazzo, Real Madrid guard

"The games between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid are super exciting. I believe that if we can control our emotions in front of that atmosphere, if we can control the game rhythm and impose our identity, we will be able to have a lot of control in this game. It is the first Clásico this season and there are a lot of factors such as anxiety, nervousness and so on, but if we play the way we have been playing lately and executing everything we have been practicing, I think we will be fine. This type of games demands you to give 100% physically and mentally. We have a lot of players who will play a Clásico for the first time and we have to be together, both in good and bad times, try to have fun and play as if it was a final."

Thursday, November 6

Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (18:45 CET)

Sarunas Jasikevicius, Fenerbahce head coach

"We need to have a better performance against ASVEL than what we've been doing. More importantly, after losses, we need to get back on the winning track. ASVEL is a very athletic team, one of the best rebounding teams in the competition, it has very good size. So, it will be important to have ball movements against their size and, in general, individual and team improvement."

Armando Bacot, Fenerbahce center

"It is a super-important game, a must-win game, playing in front of our fans. So, it'll be good to just be back here and be able to play in front of the fans."

Dubai Basketball vs. Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv (19:00 CET)

Dimitris Itoudis, Hapoel head coach

"We’re facing a new team with experienced players in each position. Dubai is also in the process of building a very strong team and a cohesive unit. We need to bounce back from our last game against Olympiacos, regain our rhythm, and rediscover our offensive flow. At the same time, we must stay solid defensively, as they have multiple ways to score - both in transition and in set plays. They have some exceptional scorers, and it’s clear from their continued signings that their expectations are high and their ambition is to strengthen even further. Overall, it’s going to be a very difficult task - but we’re ready to embrace this new challenge as a team."

Collin Malcolm, Hapoel forward

"Dubai is a very serious team that has a lot of talent. Like Hapoel, they have something to prove being the first year in the league, so I expect a 40-minute battle. Obviously for us it’s important that we get back on the winning track after a tough loss. The great thing about EuroLeague is that it moves so fast you don’t have any time to dwell on the past, you must get ready for the next one."

Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. Virtus Bologna (20:30 CET)

Dusko Ivanovic, Virtus head coach

"Tomorrow's game against Baskonia will be tough because they are an incredible team in terms of physicality and potential. I think they have an excellent chance of improving their position and their style of play. Right now, they are playing with great confidence after three wins in a row. In general, we know that they play their best here in Vitoria. We have to be ready to run and stop their fast breaks in transition because I think that, along with Paris, they are the fastest team in the EuroLeague. We have to believe that we can bring home the win."

Luca Vildoza, Virtus guard

"Baskonia plays very well, they are a fast-paced team with players who are in great shape. We will have to be very focused. This will be a tough game, also because Baskonia always plays at a high level at home."

Paris Basketball vs. FC Bayern Munich (21:00 CET)

Gordon Herbert, Bayern head coach

"Paris plays at the highest pace in the EuroLeague, and that applies to their defense as well. It will be important to withstand the pressure and control the tempo of the game. The key will be to rebound well."

Leon Kratzer, Bayern center

"I had two great years in Paris and I’m looking forward to seeing some familiar faces again. The team has changed a lot, but the playing style hasn’t. Above all, we need to focus on slowing down their speed."

Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv vs. AS Monaco (21:00 CET)

Oded Kattash, Maccabi head coach

"Monaco is a very talented team — maybe one of the best in the EuroLeague at this stage. They have a lot of talent, aggressiveness, and physicality. We’re missing Oshae, and other players will need to step up. We’ll have to stop them defensively and control the rebounds. The players really want it. It’s true that we haven’t been consistent in our energy and aggressiveness, but we know what we want and we’re trying to do more. We must find the energy and make the extra effort to make up for our shortcomings. Hoard and Brissett are the defensive foundation we build from. They’re versatile and can guard multiple positions, so we’ll definitely miss Oshae. There are players waiting for their opportunity, and they’ll have to make up for the absence."

TJ Leaf, Maccabi forward

"We need to go hard for the rebounds on both ends of the floor — that’s something we have to pay attention to. They’re a very talented team, and we need to win the 50-50 battles against them throughout the game. Everyone needs to give a little extra effort, and we’ll be fine."

Jeff Dowtin, Maccabi guard

"We have to be ready for their aggressiveness and the intensity of the game. We saw them in our video sessions, we’ve prepared, and we must be ready for a physical matchup."

Wednesday, November 5

Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade vs. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (20:00 CET)

Sasa Obradovic, Crvena Zvezda head coach

"We have plenty of space for training, and we’re still in the process of getting the team back into shape. The preparations are currently underway, and the main focus is the EuroLeague. The upcoming period will definitely be used to give some players a bit of rest, and in the middle of all that, we also have to integrate a new player. That can’t be done perfectly right away — no matter how smart of a player he (Jared Butler) is, he still needs time to connect with the team. You can’t fix that in one practice, especially when your mind is already on the next opponent. The good thing is that we have a group that’s helping him with information and making him feel welcome. We’ve analyzed the loss in Subotica a bit, but those last five minutes — that can happen sometimes, and I have no complaints. There’s nothing in particular that needs to be discussed. We have a game against Panathinaikos coming up, and that one is very important. Nwora is day-to-day, he hasn’t practiced with the team. It’s always an open question — when a player isn’t training, the chances of him playing are small. The others took some hard knocks, but they’ve recovered now and are ready for the game."

Nikola Kalinic, Crvena Zvezda forward

"It's a nice opportunity to match that record (Crvena Zvezda, currently on a six-game winning streak, last had a seven-game winning streak back in the 2015–2016 season), but to be honest, I didn’t even know about it. I think that’s something for journalists and statisticians to keep track of — we just want to keep playing good basketball in the EuroLeague. We lost two days ago in Subotica and want to make up for that impression. I think it’s going to be a great atmosphere, a great game, and we’re going for the win."

Ergin Ataman, Panathinaikos head coach

"Red Star is a very good team, and in fact, currently in excellent form. In particular, since the arrival of Coach Obradović, they have been playing exceptionally well and have secured important victories that have brought them to the top of the standings. As for us, we are facing several issues in the center position. In any case, we will fight for the win on a difficult court."

Kendrick Nunn, Panathinaikos guard

"We've got enough players. Five at a time. We're fully confident in the players we have, so we're going to try to get the job done for sure. We're confident. It'll be a tough game, but we're ready for it. It'll be tough (with three centers out injured), but we've got to figure it out. It's a 40-minute game and we'll figure out a way to win. Hopefully we come out with a victory. They're a fast-tempo team, we're familiar with the players, and we prepared all week for it so we're going there to get the victory. I like our guys. I'm taking our guys over everyone."