Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Round 8 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.
Pre-game quotes hub: 'Both teams are candidates for the Final Four'
Article
7 Mins read
Ahead of Round 8, we bring you the pre-game quotes from all the teams in one place. This page will be updated with the thoughts of the players and head coaches of all 18 teams.
Friday, November 8
Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. AS Monaco (18:00 CET)
Tomislav Mijatovic, Anadolu Efes Istanbul head coach
"Our next EuroLeague battle is against a team that has a system in place with the same coach for several years in a row, one of the most offensive efficient teams in recent EuroLeague seasons. They are a team with a lot of individual scoring base and potential dangerous players with great capacity. Saying all that, we know what we need to do in order to reach our goal, which is to win the game. We need to have a full 40 minutes offensive control, which leads into a good defense. Individual responsibility has to be at its greatest level up to now and of course we need to win the small battles, such as rebounding battles, aggressive deflections and small little details, because when you play against teams with this capacity, we need to check all the boxes to win the game. And of course we need to have a tremendous support from our fans for 40 minutes, as they always do, so we can work, enjoy and celebrate together."
Dogus Ozdemiroglu, Anadolu Efes Istanbul guard
"We are going to play a very important game at home and in front of our fans. Every victory we get at home is very important for our ranking at the end of the season. We want to play our own game and win in front of our fans against a very strong team like AS Monaco."
LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (20:00 CET)
Sarunas Jasikevicius, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul head coach
"We are facing a road game. It is always difficult in the EuroLeague on the road with ASVEL. We have to focus on Shaquille Harrison, Nando De Colo and Theo Maledon. Their athleticism always presents a lot of problems for all the teams."
Nicolo Melli, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul forward
"As all the road games in the EuroLeague, it is going to be a tough game. ASVEL is playing really well. We lost two times at home already, so we need to make up for those losses. We won two in a row now, but we want to keep going. We had one week to prepare for the game so hopefully, we are going to be ready. It's going to be a tough game, and hopefully we can keep the same energy we had against Partizan.
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens vs. Olympiacos Piraeus (20:15 CET)
Ergin Ataman, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens head coach
"Every game is different. It doesn't mean anything that we beat them 10 days ago [in the Greek League] on their court. They are in really good shape and I respect a lot Georgios Bartzokas's system. They have experienced players, so we need to play a new game. It will be a new atmosphere, it will be on our home court, but finally the players will be the ones playing on the court. It's important mentally and physically to be ready for the game. Every game in the EuroLeague is an intense game. Of course, tomorrow is a derby game with two teams that are strong teams. Both teams are candidates for the Final Four in the EuroLeague, so it will be an intense, aggressive game from both sides. It's always an advantage to play a home-court game in the EuroLeague. To have the motivation of the fans is an advantage. To have won the last game in the domestic league [against Olympiacos] doesn't make any sense because there will be a different roster. In that game, we missed a lot of important players. Ioannis Papapetrou didn't play, Omer Yurtseven didn't play, and I saw in Olympiacos's last game that McKissic and Williams-Goss contributed a lot to their victories against Barcelona and Real Madrid. So it will be two different teams, but of course the systems will be the same: our system, their system. We know each other very well. It will be important that the players play well on the court. Grigonis has a serious back problem, so I think he will be out for minimum one, one and a half months."
Lorenzo Brown, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens guard
"I'm pretty sure they'll make some adjustments [from the Greek League derby], just like we will. I know it will be a great environment tomorrow. I expect it to be like a playoff game. I know the fans are just as excited about this just as much as we are. It's going to be a hostile environment. I know the guys are ready to battle, but at the end of the day, it's just a friendly game at the end. We're ready to compete against each other. I'm just coming out and trying to play my part as much as possible, be aggressive. Trying to get into the paint as much as possible and find my open guys. I'm pretty sure every derby game is sold out here, so it's kind of expected. This is my first home derby game, so I'm excited to be a part of it and just get a W. Our guard play is heavy, from top to bottom. We have a bunch of ball handlers and a bunch of scorers as well, just like they do. We're not coming out here saying we have the best team, the best guards, but the end of the year will determine that. Our bigs as well, Mathias and Omer, we have a force down there as well, so just looking forward to the battles. Most definitely [I could see this as the championship game]. I feel like these two teams are probably the most dominant in the league, and I think it's a huge thing for Greece to have two teams that are more powerful than any other team in the EuroLeague."
Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos Piraeus head coach
"There are more players, from our side, that they are more ready to play the game; they are in better shape. Comparing to the last game we played against Panathinaikos in the Greek League, plus we have two guards, McKissic and Goss. Their presence will definitely help our game on both sides. Our game plan is to have variety on offense and to play with more intensity than the last game against them. The problem in that game was that we did not react, nor did we act, no matter what was happening. Panathinaikos is a great team; they are in very good shape, and they are very talented on offense. It will be interesting to see how we will deliver in a tough arena like OAKA."
Sasha Vezenkov, Olympiacos Piraeus forward
"We have checked our mistakes in the previous game against Panathinaikos. They dominated throughout the Greek League game. Since then, we have played two more games in the EuroLeague, in which we played well, we won both games, and that helped us to have a very positive psychology. It’s always tough to play at OAKA, but we have to be focused and mind our business. We have to play as a team for 40 minutes and do what we have to do in order to get the win."
Virtus Segafredo Bologna vs. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (20:30 CET)
Luca Banchi, Virtus Segafredo Bologna head coach
"Although conditioned by a schedule that prevents adequate preparation and recovery time, we'll face the home game against Maccabi with the urgency of playing a high-profile performance. Our opponents confirmed in their last home success against Real Madrid that they are a top-notch team, a team built around the creativity of their outside players and the physicality and athleticism of centers that we will have to be good at containing, especially at rebounding."
Matt Morgan, Virtus Segafredo Bologna guard
"We know it's an important game. We have to come out and treat it like it's an important game for us. We need the home crowd to be there and be behind us the whole game, but we just got to come out with a sense of urgency and, you know, play hard for 40 minutes and see what happens."
Oded Kattash, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv head coach
"I think the Virtus team is way more talented than its results. We are looking for a tough game, a tough matchup. As I said, they are really talented. Their record, I think, they missed three or four good opportunities to win games in the EuroLeague. Obviously, they are still the favorite against us when we play away."
Wenyen Gabriel, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv forward
"It's been a long time coming. I've been here since the preseason. I've been with this team for a couple of months now. I'm excited. I think it's a great opportunity. It's still fairly early in the season. The team is still gelling and getting to know each other. I finally got a couple of practices under me, a couple of Israeli games. I'm still learning to gel with the team again. I'm excited to go out there and mesh with my teammates. It's still a process. Physically, I feel good, which is a good sign. I'm still trying to catch some rhythm and learn how to play with my teammates. I knew some of the plays in the preseason, but now I'm still a step behind and a step slow. All that's going to come with time and confidence. I'm just excited to get a EuroLeague game and play against a different competition. Everything is a new challenge for me to grow. I'm excited."
Jake Cohen, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv forward
"I think just as we continue through this season and we continue to play together and get to know each other, we're going to continue to take these small steps. The game against Real Madrid was a great win, but we still know that there's a lot of work to do. There's so many good teams in the EuroLeague that the margin for error is really small. So we know if we want to compete against all these great teams night in and night out, we need to keep getting better and improve at a very rapid pace. I think [this game] a great opportunity, but I still think Virtus is a really dangerous team. They have such high-level players. I think it's only a matter of time before they get some really quality wins as well. Obviously, I hope it's not against us, but I think they're a really dangerous team. If we just look at their record and think it's going to be an easy game, it's a huge mistake on our part. I don't think we're doing that. I think we recognize what kind of team they are, what kind of potential they have. We're going to bring our best."
FC Barcelona vs. Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (20:30 CET)
Joan Penarroya, FC Barcelona head coach
"We were able to train and rest well before the game. We are not in a bad position, but it is not the time to look at the standings. The atmosphere that is generated in the Palau gives you a little extra push and makes it more difficult for opponents to win games. [Baskonia] is performing very well in the EuroLeague. They will have to be stopped as a team, and not let their individuals shine.”
Tomas Satoransky, FC Barcelona guard
"[We need to] take this step forward and become a better team. Baskonia will be confident in winning at the Palau. [The Barcelona fans] transmit the confidence that we have in the game. We feel very good here [at home]."
Thursday, November 7
Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade vs. ALBA Berlin (19:00 CET)
Ioannis Sfairopoulos, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade head coach
"We don't look at [ALBA] through just one win they have so far. This is a team that fights to the very end in every game. We have to be very attentive and focused. I know that our fans will come to support us, it is very important for us, to be our sixth player. They are very dangerous and have players who can score a lot of points, especially Hermanson, Olinde... Although they are missing some players, we know they have quality. That's why we have to be very concentrated and follow through on the plan."
Dejan Davidovac, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade forward
"We are ready for the game. We are playing against a team that has given us a lot of problems in the past and I hope that will not be the case now. ALBA play generally the same style – for the past five years they have played more or less the same style with a lot of transition and attention to their offense. It's up to us to stop it and do our best to win."
Israel Gonzalez, ALBA Berlin head coach
“This will be a difficult away game for us. Crvena Zvezda has a very deep roster with a lot of individual quality. That makes them an unpredictable opponent, because you can never be sure which player will be the go-to guy on which game day. In addition, Crvena Zvezda is currently performing very well from the three-point-line and plays with a lot of intensity, especially with their fans behind them.”
Ziga Samar, ALBA Berlin guard
“We have some injuries and are coming off a week with three games. That's why we have to regenerate as best we can and prepare for the game in Belgrade. There are a few things we have to keep working on, but above all it will be important to bring all our intensity onto the court.”
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs. Real Madrid (20:30 CET)
Ettore Messina, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan head coach
"We face a great team while going through a difficult moment. The team is suffering due to many injuries and played a poor game last Sunday. In the last couple of days, we have tried to regain not only our physical energy but also confidence and determination. While waiting to have our full roster back, we must always compete and try to improve. If we do this, we will benefit from it not only in this game against Real Madrid but also in the following ones. The most important aspect is not to lose trust in each other when difficult moments come up."
Fabien Causeur, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan swingman
“Real Madrid has some injuries to deal with, just like us, and this always makes everything more complicated due to the schedule that we have. When you have two or three players out it's difficult to make up for it. They have injuries and we have injuries. We play at home, in front of our fans, and we must use this energy the way we did in the Bologna game. In that game there was great participation from the fans and great spirit. We will have to recreate it all for 40 minutes against a team that has a lot of talent and experience. For me obviously, after seven years, many victories and many friendships, it will be a special game."
Chus Mateo, Real Madrid head coach
"We travel to Milan with hope, with spirit, with the desire to do things well and the intention to get our first win away from home in the EuroLeague, knowing the difficulty of winning on the road in this competition. This is not easy for anyone as it has not been an easy season in that sense, but I am very confident that our tenacity and our character will allow us to find a way to play well with regularity, to play well throughout the game. We are going to a field that we know is difficult, but we will try to take the victory."
Walter Tavares, Real Madrid forward
“Tomorrow we must play with the attitude we had in Murcia on Sunday, with the attitude of being ready to overcome adversity, to overcome difficult moments. We always try to give our best to try to win and we must continue like this. Milan's two victories have been at home. All EuroLeague teams are very strong on their home court and winning on the road gives you a huge plus. That's what we'll try to do tomorrow, despite the difficulty of the challenge. The competition is very even, the competitive level has risen a lot, everyone is protecting their home court very well and we need to play the best game possible, without making too many mistakes, if we want to have a chance of winning."
Paris Basketball vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (20:45 CET)
Zeljko Obradovic, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade head coach
"We absolutely cannot afford to repeat the kind of game we played in Istanbul, especially when it comes to our fighting spirit, desire, and the effort that has characterized this team up until that game. We’ve responded, talked with the players, had a very long meeting, and analyzed that game. The picture was completely different against FMP, even though Fenerbahce and FMP are not teams of similar quality, but our approach was different. We talked a lot about Paris; we know them well as we played in a tournament against them in Belgrade. They are a team that finishes fast breaks within seven seconds and takes a lot of three-point shots. In the game against ALBA, they fired 52 three-point attempts, which is a EuroLeague record. Regardless of whether they’re scoring or not, they’ll continue to shoot and play the same way. On defense, we need to pay close attention to their fast breaks, one-on-one play, and their unconventional pick-and-rolls between smaller players. Against Baskonia, they unexpectedly played a low-scoring game, likely due to exhaustion. Even though Baskonia shot 1 of 26 from three, they only lost by two points. Every detail is important, and any of them could be decisive."
Vanja Marinkovic, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade guard
"We’re going up against a really good, young team that plays fast and takes a lot of three-point shots. Our focus has to be on stopping their fast breaks and limiting their shot attempts as much as possible. I believe this is our opportunity — we can’t let ourselves fall into their rhythm. In our preseason game against them, we were able to make a difference by holding them to fewer shots, and I think that’s the recipe for tomorrow's game."
FC Bayern Munich vs. Zalgiris Kaunas (20:45 CET)
Gordon Herbert, FC Bayern Munich head coach
"In the last two, three games we’ve started to create our identity as a team. We played better together, our fight and will was a lot better. We’ll need that against Zalgiris. I still know Coach Trinchieri from my time in the BBL. He thinks outside the box. It will be interesting to see what kind of game it will be. We play a bit faster, while they like to control the halfcourt and defend very strongly. It will be a duel between two styles."
Elias Harris, FC Bayern Munich center
"We’re preparing as we usually do for a game: Look what the opponent does, offensively and defensively. Most of us know Coach Trinchieri very well, know that he’s a tactical genius, who’s probably prepared a surprise or two for us. No one of us can win the game alone, we’ll need the team, but I think the last games have shown that we’ve been growing as a unit.“
Andrea Trinchieri, Zalgiris Kaunas head coach
"Bayern is playing amazing well. At this moment, they are the best offense in the entire EuroLeague, hitting shots with unbelievable percentages and moving the ball very well. With a very short rotation, they have found chemistry very early in the season and it will be, like every week, a very tough game. We are not in the best condition, but I believe that we will try to compete and we will try to adjust to the absence of big guys. We'll try to play a smart game. Of course, our defense will be stressed very much by their offense, so we need to raise the level with everything: one-on-one, coming off, pick and roll. We need to do a lot of little things in order to build the opportunity to compete in the game."
Sylvain Francisco, Zalgiris Kaunas guard
"Now back in Munich, my old team, so it's going to be a tough game. [Lonnie Walker] can create a lot, especially for him and for the team. Man, he can draw a lot of fouls, he's really fast, can jump, can read the defense good, and he can play defense. To have this [type of player with] NBA caliber is a plus for us. Now we want to help him out to express his game and to make sure he's comfortable to play how he wants to play. It's going to be a tough game, I can't wait to play against [Bayern]. They haven't lost at home, so for us it's just to stop their offense. The way they play, they play really good, three-point shots and they play really good defense. Now we've got to stay locked in.
