Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of the opening round of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season
Pre-game quotes hub: 'There are many question marks'
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The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague finally returns on Thursday with six games, then three more on Friday. Ahead of Round 1, we bring you the pre-game quotes from all the teams in one place. This page will be updated throughout Wednesday, Thursday and Friday with thoughts from the players and head coaches of all 18 teams.
Friday, October 4
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. Olympiacos Piraeus (19:30 CEST)
Sarunas Jasikevicius, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul head coach
"Very happy to be starting the EuroLeague season. Missed the Ulker Arena, missed the fans. Obviously the opponent is top. It’s a great test but like we said, we are starting the grind and we have to be ready. Hoping the fans will appreciate Tyler Dorsey, the thing he did for Fenerbahce and show him respect. Like always against Olympiacos, we expect a very difficult game."
Nicolo Melli, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul foward
"It is always a special game, the first one. We play at home, we play against a great team like Olympiacos. So I know for sure that it’s gonna be a wonderful atmosphere and it’s gonna be a tough game. But we are at home, we have to defend our home court and we will try to get the win. I hope to see the arena full. I cannot wait to play again in this arena. It's nice to be back."
Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos Piraeus head coach
"As all teams in this period of time, we all trying to figure out what are our potentials through practices. There are many question marks since it is the first EuroLeague game of the season, still we will give our best to get the win. Fenerbache has a great roster and for sure it is going to be a tough game. We have a game plan and if we stick to it, we will have a good chance to win."
Even Fournier, Olympiacos Piraeus guard
"It’s a good way to start the season with a tough match up on the road. I am excited and I am looking forward to the game. We will have a good practice tonight and see what happens… When you play on the road, the most important thing is to be focused, to respect the game plan and play together. As far as it concerns me, I don’t think that it will be hard for me to adjust to the European style. Basketball is basketball!"
Virtus Segafredo Bologna vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul (21:00 CEST)
Coach Banchi, Virtus Segafredo Bologna head coach
"The opening match against Efes will oppose us to one of the great powers of this decade, capable of already showing a high quality of play and cohesion, evidenced by the recent conquest of the Turkish Presidential Cup. They have a deep roster full of players capable of breaking the balance of the game, thanks to their technical and athletic qualities. The home debut in the EuroLeague will be an incentive to produce a game of consistency and continuity, fueled by the enthusiasm of our fans ready to stand by our side, in a season that we want to see us still playing a leading role."
Will Clyburn, Virtus Segafredo Bologna head coach
"Another EuroLeague season begins, maybe even more competitive than the past one and that is why it will be very exciting. At Efes I had two great seasons, I still have so many relationships with them, it will be nice and exciting to see them on the court again."
Tomislav Mijatovic, Anadolu Efes Istanbul forward
"Obviously a very important game for us in the opening week of the new EuroLeague season at a very tough road game against one of the most experienced teams this year in the EuroLeague. We know that it's gonna take our maximum effort to control the tempo of the offense, the tempo of the defense and the tempo of the game in order to put ourselves in a position to win the game - what we are going to Bologna for - and start the EuroLeague season with a great victory on the road. Of course, like I said, it's going to take 40 minutes of effort against a very well coached and a very experienced team. But our guys are ready and working very hard, and we're preparing to the maximum for that effort on Friday."
Shane Larkin, Anadolu Efes Istanbul head coach
"Virtus Segafredo Bologna is a very talented and an experienced team. They understand it is important to win home games in EuroLeague and will try to open the season with a victory. We have to be focused and the more aggressive team on both sides of the court. If we do that, I think we have a great chance to win."
Paris Basketball vs. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (21:00 CEST)
Ioannis Sfairopoulos, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade head coach
"Paris is a team that plays with a lot of enthusiasm and energy, especially now that they are playing the first game, so they will be extra motivated. We have been practicing hard for couple of days, and are preparing for their defense and offense. We know their strengths and will try to disrupt anything they want to do in the offense."<br> <br> Luka Mitrovic, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade center
"The long-awaited start of the Euroleague! We are motivated, we worked well in practices in the previous period and I think we are ready. Against us, we have a new Euroleague team that will definitely be motivated to show themselves in the best possible way, and to show that they belong in this competition. An atypical team, somewhat unknown to all of us, especially in the early stages of the competition."
Thursday, October 3
ALBA Berlin vs. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (18:45 CEST)
Israel Gonzalez, ALBA Berlin head coach:
"Panathinaikos has an incredibly strong roster. They’re the defending EuroLeague champions and have only strengthened their rotation this season. It will be a tough game, but we're playing at home and want to show a team performance to bring all our energy onto the court. Intensity will play an important role, especially in the zone, in order to control Panathinaikos's strengths under the basket."
Elias Rapieque, ALBA Berlin forward:
"Playing against the defending champions right at the start of the EuroLeague is of course a huge task. But we have nothing to lose and are also playing at home at Uber Arena. That's definitely something special and will give us a bit of extra motivation. We have to keep the intensity high and have fun on the court as a team."
Ergin Ataman, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens head coach
"We ended last season with a title in Berlin, and now we start the new season on the road in Berlin. We are ready for the season. All teams are strong, all teams want to win every game, especially when you play on the road it is very dangerous. Maybe some think ALBA is not a candidate for the place in the playoffs, but rosters on the paper is different than the game. In the opening round of the EuroLeague, in the entire first half of the season, everyone fights for as many victories and have a goal to reach the playoffs. It is very important to be calm, in the road game to play aggressive basketball with game discipline. Every game, especially in the beginning of the EuroLeague, is dangerous. Lorenzo Brown practiced with the team, I hope he will practice again [Wednesday evening] and I think he will be on the court [against ALBA]."
Marius Grigonis, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens guard
"It is always fun for me. I played there so it is really fun to visit the city, to see the familiar faces, and obviously last season was a happy ending for us there. In the EuroLeague you can never underestimate a team. Whether it is ALBA or Real Madrid, you have to play the same way. We are not 100% percent, but we are getting there. We are the champions team, we have a lot of character, so one loss [in the Greek Super Cup against Olympiacos] will not affect us."
Zalgiris Kaunas vs. FC Barcelona (19:00 CEST)
Andrea Trinchieri, Zalgiris Kaunas head coach
"This is one of the strongest EuroLeague campaigns ever. And besides the fact it will be fun to watch, we have to swim these seas. A lot of shakes, a lot of big teams, a lot of talented players. I am thrilled, but the challenge, the task, it will be tough. I am 100 percent sure, and we have to keep focus one game at the time trying to push ourselves over the limits. And have in mind that the only thing we can do in this EuroLeague is to play the best basketball that we can and to be the best version of ourselves, players and coaches, and if we do these two things the score will take care of itself. We should not focus primarily on the scoreboard, because it may happen and it will happen that we do whatever we can but the other team will be better. Because the level of talent, strength and power of many teams is very, very high."
"[Against Barcelona], we have to understand early in the game what kind of game it will be, because nobody knows. It is the first game."
AS Monaco vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (19:00 CEST)
Ettore Messina, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan head coach
"We are about to start a very high-level competition, very tough one. Each one of us will have to play for 34 games with concentration, attention to detail and with the best interests of the team at the top of his mind. During the preseason and up to the first Italian League game we demonstrated a good potential. However, we have to show it every game and for 40 minutes especially on the road, especially against top level teams such as Monaco, our first opponent."
Nenad Dimitrijevic, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan head coach
"It will be a tough game against a very competitive team, one of the best over the last three seasons. They made the Final Four a couple of years ago. They are a very physical team, with talented players. We need to approach this challenge the right way and try to get out of Monaco with a win. I was waiting the opportunity to play in the EuroLeague for some time, and to do that with a club like Olimpia Milan is a privilege."
Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (20:30 CEST)
Zeljko Obradovic, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade head coach
"It's the first game in the EuroLeague, and we are entering with high ambitions. We had some preseason games with EuroLeague teams. What I would like to see in this game is that we continue to play the same way we have done so far, with the same desire and energy that we've had in all the games we've played up to now. I think that's the most important thing. Talking about the court there, it’s always a tough place to play. Baskonia, despite changing the team and coach, maintains the same style of play. What’s specific about Pablo Laso’s teams is a lot of transition, a lot of individual solutions, isolations, one-on-one play, offensive rebounding and, of course, a player who is very important — Markus Howard, who is capable of taking over 15 three-point shots. So, we've already gone through all of that, we are ready, and we'll see how everything goes tomorrow."
Brandon Davies, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade center
"We are very excited to get the EuroLeague underway and started. Baskonia is a great team, very gifted and talented offensively. So, we need to make sure that we are also strong on offense ourselves. I've played against them many times in the ACB and EuroLeague, so I think we will be prepared."
FC Bayern Munich vs. Real Madrid (20:45 CEST)
Gordie Herbert, FC Bayern Munich head coach
"It’s one of the best teams in Europe, a giant in European basketball. We have to find ways to deal with their strengths, which is a challenge for the players and the coaches. But we need to impose our will on them, be physical."
Niels Giffey, FC Bayern Munich forward
"Real is always under pressure, but it certainly wouldn’t be easier to beat them if they played here on May 3rd. We have to approach this season as underdogs; we won’t often be the favorites. But I’m not thinking about who comes when. You have to play against these teams, anyway. We want to prove ourselves at this level. I really like the arena. I think the atmosphere will be amazing."
Chus Mateo, Real Madrid head coach
"Tomorrow we play a big game for both teams because it marks the start of a competition in which we are usually at the top, competing to win the title. Hopefully, this year we can say at the end that, once again, we have competed to win the trophy. Now we are starting to get to know each other as a team and we have to be patient, do things well and put our best foot forward. This is the key to being in a position to fight for titles throughout the year."
Sergio Llull, Real Madrid guard
"We face this new edition of the Euroleague, as always, with great desire, with great enthusiasm and being aware that we are in for a very tough competition since all the teams have reinforced themselves incredibly well. Our objective is none other than to try to fight for the title, which is what we have done in recent seasons.. Tomorrow we have a big game in Munich. Bayern inaugurates its new arena and we expect a tough match against a rival that always makes things very difficult for us and with a crowd that is very supportive at all times, although we will try to play good basketball and win."
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (21:00 CEST)
Oded Kattash, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv head coach
"Under the circumstances, we are excited to start another EuroLeague season, a really challenging one. The first rounds in the EuroLeague ae always difficult, it is hard to predict who is going to win. We play at home, unfortunately not in front of our crowd, but we have to come out really focused and aggressive. We saw ASVEL, it is a dangerous teams, they try to create a lot of movement on their offense. Our job is first of all defensively, to try to slow them down. I expect a tough game."