Check out what the protagonists are saying ahead of Round 10 of the 2025-26 EuroCup season
Round 10: Pregame quotes
Article
7 Mins read
Wednesday, December 10, 2025
Bahcesehir College Istanbul vs. U-BT Cluj-Napoca (17:00 CET)
Mihai Silvasan, Cluj head coach
"We’re expecting a tough game against a very good team, one of the favorites to win the competition. For us, it’s a match we want to approach very seriously, even though we’ll be missing some important players. We definitely want a win in Istanbul, and we’ll try to be the best version of ourselves."
Saulius Kulvietis, Cluj forward
"We’re heading into a very important game against a very experienced team. Their loss in the previous round, against Neptunas Klaipeda, will definitely motivate them for this game. It’s going to be a tough game, but we’re ready to fight and to win."
Buducnost VOLI Podgorica vs. London Lions (19:00 CET)
Andrej Zakelj, Buducnost head coach
"We have to play better than we did in the last EuroCup game, with more focus and toughness. London is playing much better than at the beginning of the season, They added three new players, which makes them a significantly stronger team now. They are an athletic team, very aggressive and physical, and we must be ready for that. We’re playing in front of our home crowd, and I hope for strong support from our fans, but it’s on us to respond with toughness. It’s essential that we know how to react in every situation — focus, energy, and rebounding will be key. We need to play with a lot of running and confidence."
Yogi Ferrell, Buducnost guard
"I’m expecting a very intense, high-energy game. They put a lot of pressure defensively, they run the floor, and we have to bring energy from the very start. We can’t let them play their game, we need to make everything difficult for them, and then we’ll have a great chance to win. They play well together, move the ball, and can score at a high level. So we just have to put pressure on them and trust each other defensively, knowing we’ll have each other’s back."
Tautvydas Sabonis, London head coach<br> “Confidence, our defensive ability, to believe that if we follow the game play and play as a team we can play against anybody. We’ve done a great job the last few months of doing that now we have a very good team in front of us away to show if we can really do this. They’re a very high level guard driven team. They got Sulaimon, who is a veteran in this league, certified bucket getter, Yogi Ferrell, NBA experience, certified bucket getter, Skylar Mays who played EuroLeague last year and is having a great campaign and Kolivar, both French guys are good ,but regardless they’re a very complete team, they play physical, they’re big, so we gotta be ready to answer back and get a little bit of vengeance from the first game of the season."
Aris Thessaloniki Betsson vs. Umana Reyer Venice (19:00 CET)
Igor Milicic, Aris head coach
"There is no easy game in the EuroCup; every matchup is the most important one. Reyer is a strong and athletic team. They play fast basketball, but we need to improve compared to the way we performed in our last game. We have to play our own game and fight for the win."
Ronnie Harrell Jr., Aris guard
"It’s a very important game for us, and we need to step on the court and be ourselves. We have to follow our game plan and our coach’s strategy. We’re facing a very good team, so we can’t underestimate them. What matters most is to show on the court everything we’ve been working on in practice. In our previous game, we made defensive mistakes, and we’ve been working hard in training to avoid repeating them."
Neven Spahija, Reyer head coach
"We need to react after the last loss in Belgrade. I believe our team is better than the performance we showed in the last EuroCup game: we have to play, show up, and compete. Aris is a good team: they changed their coach and now they play differently. They have talent, and in front of their home crowd, they are even stronger. We will need to play a mature game, performing to the best of our abilities on both defense and offense."
Kyle Wiltjer, Reyer forward
"I expect an amazing atmosphere: my dad played for Aris and I know well how much their fans can impact the game. We need to be ready. We are doing well in the Italian league and we need to use this momentum to get wins in the EuroCup as well. It is fundamental that we continue playing at a high pace, playing our best basketball and playing for each other. Taking care of the ball will be decisive. If we protect the ball well, our level of defense improves too, so it will be important to limit turnovers."
BAXI Manresa vs. Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana (20:45 CET)
Zvezdan Mitrović, Cedevita head coach
"We prepared well for our first matchup with Manresa in the EuroCup and we showed an excellent performance. At the end of the game we had some problems, because they are a young and aggressive team. There were several changes to their roster, but despite that, our opponents still play very fast and aggressively, so we can definitely expect an intense game with a lot of running. Manresa plays much better at home, which is evident from their number of wins at home. It is definitely not easy to play there. We must be ready for fast and aggressive play. The information from the first game helps us as well, since our opponents have not changed their playing system despite the addition of new players. We expect a tough game."
David Skara, Cedevita center
"Our next opponent in the EuroCup is Manresa. On Tuesday we trained well and prepared in Ljubljana. We want to show a good performance, because we know that Manresa is a very talented and excellent team that will play in front of their home fans, so the game definitely won’t be easy. Despite that, we want to extend our winning streak."
Tuesday, December 9, 2025
Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse vs. Dolomiti Energia Trento (19:30 CET)
Frederic Fauthoux, Bourg head coach
"Trento is a solid team, especially on the offensive boards. They play at a fast pace, so we'll need to be focused. They've improved a lot and are in the top six, so this is a game we have to take very seriously. We have the advantage of playing at home, and our fans will be there to cheer us on."
Kevin Kokila, Bourg center
"We expect a different match than the first. They're a team that has improved since the first leg, but so have we, so we're ready to take on this challenge and start the second half of the season with a crucial home win to solidify our position at the top of the table."
Fabio Bongi, Trento assistant coach
“We have only a few hours to prepare for the game against Bourg after playing on a difficult court like Milan’s, where we showed both positives and negatives. We need to correct what didn’t work: the final possessions on offense and our defense in the opening minutes. This is all part of our growth process, and the game against Bourg represents another important step. We are aware of our strengths and we know which areas we must keep improving: with time, I’m sure we will find our best balance. This game marks the start of our EuroCup return round: in the first meeting, we played a poor game against a team with great experience and physicality. Today, however, we are a group with more chemistry, balance, and mutual understanding. We want to be competitive and put together an effort that allows us to fight for the win.”
Andrej Jakimovski, Trento forward
“Bourg-en-Bresse is one of the strongest teams in the entire competition: in the first game, we struggled a lot, but now we have a clearer idea of what it takes to try to counter their physicality and talent. They are a team that plays very well together, and we will need to deliver a performance full of energy and focus for all 40 minutes. We don’t have much time to prepare for this matchup, but I am sure we will show up ready and give 100% in our attempt to bring home the win.”