Check out what the protagonists are saying ahead of Round 8 of the 2025-26 EuroCup season, and who might be missing in action.
Round 8: Pregame quotes
Makale
7 Dk okuma
Tuesday, November 18, 2025
U-BT Cluj-Napoca vs. Hapoel Midtown Jerusalem
Dusan Miletic, Cluj center
"We will definitely play against a very good team; they are in second place in the group. I believe we can win, but we need to be very aggressive. They have a good roster, especially their guards, who are very aggressive, and I think most of the team’s points come from them. Their big men also have an important role; they execute well, they run well, but I think that if we stick to the plan and follow the rules, we will win."
Mihai Silvasan, Cluj head coach
"A very important game for us, because we’re facing one of the top teams in this competition. They have big ambitions, they’ve made major investments, and they have quality players. They are ahead of us in the standings, they are 5–2, we are 4–3, so it is a very important match for us if we want to fight for the top two, three places at the end of the regular season. They have point guards who are extremely capable of scoring from tough situations, but we also have our own weapons. We want to play good defense. I believe this will be the key to success. The last week has been difficult, after the game with BAXI Manresa we had to leave directly for Podgorica, but this is the situation, and we’re trying to be physically ready at game time. I hope the arena will be full or almost full, we really need the fans at this game. It’s probably the most important game of this EuroCup season until now and surely the fans’ support can push us toward victory."
Neptunas Kleipeda vs. Aris Thessaloniki Betsson
Georgios Gkiouzelis, Aris forward
“We are playing a difficult away game against a good, quality team. We understand the demands of the game and we respect our opponent, but at the same time we have prepared properly. We have worked on our game plan, we know what we need to do on the court, and we believe in our abilities.<br> For us, this game is very important, both in terms of standings and for the rest of the season. We want to show character, stay focused for 40 minutes, and fight for the win.”
Igor Milicic, Aris head coach
“After two very tough games we are having just one day between the games and a tough trip. But we are going there with clear mind and we are very focused on what we have to do. We have clear minds that we have to be concentrated on their shooters. They play a tough offense, we have to use a lot of energy in order to win the game.”
Buducnost VOLI Podgorica vs. ratiopharm ulm
Zoran Nikolic, Buducnost center
"We are expecting a tough game against a very talented team that plays with a lot of contact and at a very fast pace. We need to adapt to that and try to establish our own rhythm. A good thing is that we recently played against Chemnitz, a team with some similarities in style to our next opponent, so we can prepare even better. I believe we have a good chance to win in front of our fans, and that is our goal. It will be a very physical game, with a lot of contact, and we will need to respond the right way, because they will come out aggressively from the first minute."
Andrej Zakelj, Buducnost head coach
"I think this is a very important game for both teams. For us, it’s an opportunity to maintain a good rhythm in the EuroCup, because a win would put us where we want to be. I believe Ulm has the same ambitions. We are currently dealing with some injury problems, but whoever is on the roster will have to leave their heart on the court in order for us to get the win in front of our home crowd. Ulm plays very good basketball — fast and athletic. If we are not tough enough, aggressive enough, and fully focused, we could have problems, just like most teams that have played against them. I hope for strong support from our fans."
Slask Wroclaw vs. Bahcesehir College Istanbul
Dolomiti Energia Trento vs. NINERS Chemnitz
Selom Mawugbe, Trento center
“We want to make the playoffs, so this game will be very important to take a step in that direction. It will also be fundamental for us to bounce back: it’s true that we are going through a difficult period with many injuries, but that’s part of a season and we don’t want to look for excuses. We need to find the way back to winning. Chemnitz is a very good team, as all the teams in the EuroCup are, so we will need to be very focused on respecting our game plan. It will take a great effort from everyone to win, and we will have to do whatever it takes to make that happen.”
Davide Dusmet, Trento assistant coach
“Chemnitz is an athletic team that plays at a high pace and takes a huge number of shots, creating many situations for perimeter attempts: in fact, they are the team that takes the most three-point shots in the entire EuroCup. They have very dangerous one-on-one guards, such as Corey Davis and Sibande, as well as athletic and versatile big men who can both roll to the rim and stretch the floor. We come from a game where we had some good moments, but also many mistakes on both ends of the court that prevented us from bringing home the win yesterday in Sassari. We need to be more solid for all 40 minutes and focus on the aspects of the game that must allow us to win. We will certainly need strong defensive transition, solid open-court situations, and individual responsibility in one-on-one situations, and we will also all need to be very attentive on rebounds.”
Wednesday, November 19, 2025
Turk Telekom Ankara vs. Besiktas GAIN Istanbul
Panionios Cosmorama Travel Athens vs. Lietkabelis Panevezys
Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana vs. Veolia Towers Hamburg
Devon Daniels, Hamburg guard<br> “I was pleasantly surprised by the team atmosphere after arriving. In my first days, I’ve seen a real unit – everyone wants that first win. I feel well integrated; the players made it easy by talking to me a lot, and the coaches too. I feel I’ve quickly understood the philosophy. I hope to contribute my strengths soon to help turn things around.”
Benka Barloschky, Hamburg head coach<br> “Cedevita is a team that moves a lot offensively – the ball, the players, with many off-ball screens. Preparing our players for communication and physicality was a key focus. It will be important that we stay united for 40 minutes. The key lies in ‘we,’ not ‘I’ – that’s how team sports have always worked. That’s our focus.”