Round 17: Pregame quotes and injury reports

Check out what the protagonists are saying ahead of Round 17 of the 2025-26 EuroCup season

Tuesday, February 3

Bahcesehir College Istanbul vs. Slask Wroclaw (17:00 CET)

ratiopharm ulm vs. Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (19:00 CET)

Andrej Zakelj, Buducnost head coach

"We are facing a very difficult and important game. After the away match in Subotica, we continue directly to Ulm. It will be a very demanding game, especially considering our shortened rotation and the issues we have had during preparation. We know how important this game is for us, and we must stay fully focused and bring the same level of energy we showed in the second half in Subotica. We have to show maximum respect for the Ulm, who are still fighting for a playoff spot. It is up to us to recover well, prepare properly, fight, and do everything we can to get the win."

Djordje Jovanovic, Buducnost forward

"We have an important game ahead of us against Ulm, which is crucial for the further course of the EuroCup and for our position in the fight for a better playoff seeding. We are playing against a young team that performs very well, especially at home, playing aggressively on both ends of the floor. That means a lot of running and a very physically demanding game. However, I believe we will have enough time to rest, prepare well, and try to secure a win in Germany."

Wednesday, February 4

Lietkabelis Panevezys vs. Panionios Cosmorama Travel Athens (18:00 CET)

Besiktas GAIN Istanbul vs. Turk Telekom Ankara (18:00 CET)

Hapoel Midtown Jerusalem vs. U-BT Cluj-Napoca (19:00 CET)

Mihai Silvasan, Cluj head coach

"We are playing against a very strong team. So far, they have shown that they play the best offensive basketball in the EuroCup. They are first in points scored, with impressive efficiency. They have players of very high individual quality, especially their guards, who are generally very good. We need to focus on defense, on individual defense, and try to make their lives as difficult as possible. This is an important game for us, a game we will fight to win. Even though we are not in our best form at the moment, our confidence remains, and we want to stay competitive and keep fighting until the end."

Saulius Kulvietis, Cluj forward

"We have a very important game coming up, as there are only two matches left in the EuroCup regular season and we are still fighting to qualify for the playoffs. We are going through a negative run of results at the moment, but we remain positive. We have a very close-knit group, so we are looking ahead and hoping to win tomorrow and take a big step toward the next stage of the competition."

NINERS Chemnitz vs. Dolomiti Energia Trento (19:00 CET)

Fabio Bongi, Trento assistant coach

"We are about to face a demanding road game in Germany against a very strong team. In the first meeting, Chemnitz deservedly beat us, playing an extremely solid game and putting us in great difficulty, especially with their big men, who have great athleticism and two-way ability. They will be highly motivated, as together with Ulm they are fighting for a playoff spot. On our side, there is a strong desire to bounce back from the first game and to build on the positive momentum we are currently experiencing. Our goal is to finish the regular season in the best possible position and to give our fans the opportunity to host our first postseason game at home, capping off an extremely positive European campaign."

Matas Jogela, Trento forward

"On Wednesday we will play a very important game in Germany, on the road against Chemnitz. I believe that in recent weeks we have shown good basketball, playing together, moving the ball well and putting toughness and identity on the floor. Our goal will be to maintain this level also in this game, because there are only two games left in the regular season and we want to finish in the best possible position. Chemnitz are a very good and versatile team, and we will have to be ready to respond to every situation they put in front of us in order to try to secure another road win."

Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse vs. London Lions (19:30 CET)

Aris Thessaloniki Betsson vs. Neptunas Kleipeda (20:00 CET)

Igor Milicic, Aris head coach

"Good teams and quality players have short memories, both after wins and after losses. We can’t stay proud or happy after the game against Panathinaikos for too long, because we must keep moving forward. We have a very important game ahead of us, maybe the most crucial one so far this season. I want to prepare my team to step onto the court hungry. However, that’s very difficult after the emotional explosion following the game against Panathinaikos. The entire coaching staff has to work very hard to mentally prepare the team so that we can play fast basketball. Neptunas is a very dangerous team. They play five-out, with all five players outside the three-point line, and they are very strong in transition. Our energy must be at a high level if we want to be competitive and get the win."

Jake Forrester, Aris center

"We are 100% focused on the game against Neptunas and we’re not thinking about what we achieved in the previous match [against Panathinaikos]. We’re ready to give 100% of our effort. We know that in recent games we had the lead, but towards the end it felt like we lost our concentration and gave up the advantage we had built. This is something we’re working on. Our coaching staff shows us a lot of video, and all the players know what we need to do to make sure this doesn’t happen again in the future."

Round 17: Pregame quotes