Round 9: Pregame quotes and injury reports

Check out what the protagonists are saying ahead of Round 9 of the 2025-26 EuroCup season, and who might be missing in action.

Thursday, December 4

Bahcesehir College Istanbul vs. Neptunas Kleipeda (17:00 CET)

Cedevita Olimpija Ljubljana vs. Slask Wroclaw (18:30 CET)

Zvezdan Mitrovic, Cedevita Olimpija head coach

"On Wednesday, after the competition break, we gathered for the first time with practically the full roster. This gives us one day to prepare for Thursday’s game – this is not the same Śląsk we followed at the start of the season, as our opponents are showing their teeth and have proven that they can beat anyone. Among other things, before the break they also defeated Bahçeşehir. This is an offensively extremely high-quality team at all playing positions. We will see what this break has brought us, but we certainly know that this ‘pause’ was not good, as we had several players away with their national teams, and our young players were part of the team in the ABA U19 League, so our work was made more difficult. The game is extremely important for us, but we are certainly not one hundred percent ready for it. We will see in what condition the players will step on the court on Thursday.”

Nikos Chougkaz, Cedevita Olimpija forward

“Another big and important game is ahead of us. Our main goal before it is to continue our winning streak. If we want to extend it, we will have to give everything we have. I was out for six weeks due to an injury, but now I’m back and feeling much better. I feel that I am returning to the form I had before the injury. The team has been playing very well from the very beginning of the season. You can see that we are very competitive, especially on our home court, where we are difficult to beat. What also contributes to this is the excellent chemistry among us, as all the guys are great.”

ratiopharm ulm vs. Dolomiti Energia Trento (19:00 CET)

Fabio Bongi, Trento assistant coach

"We return to action after the national-team break with the first of three consecutive road games, starting on Ulm’s court. It will be a difficult game, in a hot environment where the fans are able to transmit a lot of energy to their team. Ulm plays with great pace, runs the floor well, and has a very cohesive group in the way they interpret their brand of basketball: it will be a challenge we must face with great focus. We have all our players back, and we’ve finally been able to practice with a full roster — something that hadn’t happened since the start of the year. Being able to work together consistently will help us grow over time and be ready for every challenge that lies ahead."

DeVante' Jones, Trento guard

"We’re happy to get back on the court after the break. On Thursday we’ll face a tough game against Ulm, but we’ve finally recovered from the small injuries we picked up in the first part of the season. I believe this pause helped us recharge our energy, and spending some time with our families was good for us as well. Ulm is a high-level team: aggressive, fast, and able to play with a lot of energy, especially at home. We’ll need to play a great game for the full 40 minutes. We want to get back to winning in the EuroCup as well."

NINERS Chemnitz vs. Turk Telekom Ankara (19:00 CET)

Rodrigo Pastore, Chemnitz head coach

"Turk Telekom is a team built with a solid roster, expected to go all the way in this competition. They have been extremely efficient on the offensive end the last five games. Our main Goal is to be able to disrupt their offensive flow through a disciplined defense and to be able to create open court opportunities that will allow us to score in the early seconds of the possession."

Yordan Minchev, Chemnitz forward

"We are heading into a game against a very tough and experienced team, both the players and the coach. They lost their battle versus Besiktas and definitely took their lessons and will come and try to get the win at our home. After the break we are looking to play better basketball and show better face in the EuroCup games and start us a winning streak after the last win in Trento. Hopefully we will stay solid, play as physical as we can, be focused during 40 minutes and give our fans a good win."

Lietkabelis Panevezys vs. London Lions (19:00 CET)

Tautvydas Sabonis, London Lions head coach

"Like always… Nothing changes. Physicality, energy, toughness, just playing our basketball, preparing for the next stretch of games that we have, which is going to be interesting. [Lietkabelis is a] very unorthodox team. Play a very specific style of basketball. We are going to have to be very mentally tough and physical, because they are very well coached, and I know the coach very well… We have to be ready to play a very tough, physical game. Like always game confidence, showing what we do every single day matters for what we want to do for every game…for every practice. At the end of the day, it’s confidence and just producing for the game what we do in practice."

Amin Adamu, London Lions guard

"They are a bit unorthodox. There are a lot of things we need to learn, be prepared and come out and set the tone as always. They're not to be taken lightly, like every team in EuroCup. As long as we stick to our plan and play our game, we'll be alright."

London Lions' injury report: Joel Scott, Shavar Reynolds and Mo Soluade are ruled out.

Aris Thessaloniki Betsson vs. U-BT Cluj-Napoca (19:00 CET)

Igor Milicic, Aris head coach

"Obviously, we have a very tough game ahead of us. Cluj plays at a fast pace, their roster is made up mostly of foreign players, and the fact that they don’t compete in their domestic league gives them that advantage. We are dealing with some injuries now and we still have a few question marks regarding who will be available to play tomorrow. The key for us to get a positive result is to have good defensive transition and not allow them to play a free, high-tempo style — especially offensively. We know how to combine tough, physical defense with quick offense when needed."

Elijah Mitrou-Long, Aris guard

"I believe that the key to every game is our defense. We want to rely on our defensive identity; Cluj has very good players, but so do we, especially now with the new guys who have joined the team. In order to get the win tomorrow, as well as in the games that follow, we need to be the best version of ourselves, bring defensive energy, and play tough. If we do these things, I believe we will win the majority of the games ahead of us."

Mihai Silvasan, Cluj head coach

"A very important match for both teams, two teams fighting for a place in the Top 6 at the end of the regular season. They have a new coach, a good one, who has put things in order within the team and has brought in three new players recently. Aris is an extremely competitive team, especially on their home court, where everyone knows what kind of atmosphere is created. We are not in an ideal situation, because we still haven’t managed to hold a training session with the full team after the national team break. These things matter less, because, as we want our mentality to be, we are not trying to find excuses, but we want to find solutions for the problems we have, and we will certainly approach this match thinking only about victory."

Trey Woodbury, Cluj guard

"We are very excited for this game. We are coming back after the break and we want the victory in a very important EuroCup match. We had a good week of practices and we can’t wait to get back on the court. I like the atmosphere in Thessaloniki, I played there last year. Their fans are very passionate, so it should be a fitting environment for this game."

Hapoel Midtown Jerusalem vs. Umana Reyer Venice (20:00 CET)

Neven Spahija, Reyer head coach

"There are two key factors for this game. The first one is about us; we want to see how the team reacts coming back from the break. I must say that after these practice sessions, the feeling is positive: the team is prepared, even though Wiltjer will join us directly in Belgrade. Furthermore, we are facing one of the best teams in the competition. In my opinion, they have a EuroLeague roster, and right now, they are playing the best basketball in the EuroCup. It will be tough, but we go to Belgrade with the same desire as always: to play to our full potential and be protagonists. They have great offensive potential and can score in many ways and from different positions. That’s why we need to be tough. We have prepared for the game carefully, and our defense will be crucial."

Jordan Parks, Reyer forward

"Coming off the break, we immediately face one of the strongest teams in the EuroCup. It will be a tough challenge, but it is also a great opportunity to test ourselves and see who we are as a team. We need to continue building on the last two games, where we played well together and showed greatly improved chemistry. It will be crucial to stay together and work hard on the boards to avoid giving them second chances."

Friday, December 5

Besiktas GAIN Istanbul vs. Panionios Cosmorama Travel Athens (18:00 CET)

Cosea JL Bourg-en-Bresse vs. Buducnost VOLI Podgorica (19:30 CET)

Frederic Fauthoux, Bourg head coach

"We're expecting a tough game tomorrow night as we defend our top spot in the standings. Podgorica is a team that concedes very few points, with an extremely solid defense and a deep squad. We'll need to be focused for the full 40 minutes, both defensively and offensively, to secure this home victory."

Darius McGhee, Bourg guard

"Podgorica is a really tough and experienced team. Our team will have to make sure we are connected on both ends of the floor for 40 minutes of the game. It will be a good game!"

Andrej Zakelj, Buducnost head coach

"Today we had our first practice with the full roster. We have two practices before the game against Bourg. We are dealing with some injury issues after the national team window, but that must not affect our desire or the way we want to play. We are going to Bourg to try to win. We will prepare as we do for every game — we know exactly who we’re up against. At this moment, they are the top team in our group. They are a very athletic team that runs a lot, plays aggressive basketball, crashes the boards hard, and relies heavily on one-on-one situations, so a tough challenge is in front of us, especially on the road and right after the break. We have to be tough and show the kind of basketball we played before the break, although it won’t be easy. Bourg is one of the best teams in the league, but we also have our own goals and ambitions."

Axel Bouteille, Buducnost forward

"Next game is going to be a good one for us — a tough test on the road. We know Bourg is the top team in our group, so we have a lot of work to do if we want to win. It’s going to be tough. They’ve been playing really well and have only one loss this season. They’re a very physical team and they can score in many ways. So we expect a difficult game, and we have to be ready for that."