FC Bayern Munich's head coach was welcomed home warmly by Real Madrid, where he had left a singular legacy, but the goodwill didn't last long.
Royal reception became a rude awakening for Laso's Bayern in Madrid
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Round 14 of 34
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His homecoming was a bittersweet one for Bayern Munich head coach Pablo Laso, as Real Madrid laid a red carpet for its former boss and then pulled it from right under his feet in an emotional Turkish Airlines EuroLeague clash on Thursday.
Real, the competition's reigning champion, lived up to its billing and won the game 88-73 after Laso was given a standing ovation by the home team's fans. The 56-year old tactician had left a singular legacy at Real – and to his successor and former assistant, Chus Mateo – having won two EuroLeague titles alongside six Spanish championships and as many national cup trophies during a glorious 11-year spell in charge of the club.
Laso was grateful and emotional
"Congratulations to Real Madrid," a familiar opening line from visiting coaches at WiZink Center, surely sounded strange to reporters at the post-game press conference, coming as it did from Laso's lips.
"I am grateful for the welcome and it's nice to be remembered," he added before acknowledging that Bayern was put to the sword by players with whom he had developed personal friendships over the years.
"It was very emotional because I had been here for many years. Friendship doesn't help in these cases because some of these guys played really well today, like Sergio [Lull], who provided a change of pace. We knew competing against Real Madrid would be difficult because the likes of Chacho [Sergio Rodriguez], Facu [Campazzo], Sergio [Lull] and so many others are players of great quality."
Real and Laso parted ways in July 2022. He was succeeded by his longtime assistant, Mateo, who went on to claim the club's 11th EuroLeague title, and his first as head coach, at the 2023 Final Four in Kaunas.
Real imposed its quality late
Mateo acknowledged that a royal reception was no less than what his former mentor deserved for all his accomplishments.
"It was expected and well-deserved," Mateo said. "He was here for a long time and it was triumph for him to feel loved by the fans as well as his former players and staff."
As for the game, Bayern stood its ground for three quarters before Real took the game by the scruff of the neck in the fourth, improving to 13-1 at the top of the table while Bayern dropped to 6-8.
"We found it difficult to get into the right pace early on, but then we found a way to get going," Mateo explained. "The key was restricting them to 14 points in the second quarter and 16 in the third, thanks to solid defense. It was very emotional because of Pablo's homecoming but at the end of the day we are where we want to be. There's a long way to go, but we'll keep working to get the wins, home and away."
Game Videos
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