Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Round 1 of the 2025-26 EuroLeague season
Pregame quotes, Round 1: 'We start against perhaps the most talented team ever'
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18 Mins read
Tuesday, September 30
Dubai Basketball vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (18:00 CEST)
Zeljko Obradovic, Partizan head coach
"We have the experience from last season of just how balanced the EuroLeague is, and how little we were missing, considering that we lost some games by just one shot. I hope that this experience, along with the ambitions we have, will help us turn it into something that we would all like to see happen in the EuroLeague at the end. As for Dubai, they have a large number of players, without juniors, which clearly shows the kind of team they have built. In what lineup they will appear is still unknown. We have to believe in ourselves, to have motivation, and for the players to be as motivated as they have been in the last two days of practice, and I have great confidence in them. Of course, I have to mention our fans. They are the ones who drive us, and I always thank them for what they do for us. Even in preseason they created a spectacle, so we know what to expect throughout the season."
Aleksej Pokusevski, Partizan forward
"They're in a similar boat to the one we were in last year, because they've added a lot of reinforcements. Dubai is an excellent team, so a demanding match awaits us. However, I believe our familiarity with each other gives us a slight edge. We know what to expect, and we're physically and mentally ready. All that's left is to prepare tactically."
Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv vs. FC Barcelona (18:00 CEST)
Dimitris Itoudis, Hapoel head coach
"We’re very excited to begin our EuroLeague journey. We know the challenges ahead – we’re starting against a team that has it all: depth at every position, experience, size, and plenty of EuroLeague mileage. But we’ve come here determined to fight. We’re here to represent all Hapoel Tel Aviv fans – and we’ll do so with pride, giving everything we have on the court."
Antonio Blakeney, Hapoel guard
"We are looking forward to going out and competing in our first EuroLeague game. Since this is our first season in the EuroLeague as a team, we are super excited to prove ourselves every game with our competitive spirit and hustle."
Jan Vesely, FC Barcelona center
"I feel good. I'm ready. It's a long season, it's hard to expect anything, so we go step by step. Hapoel is a tough team. It's gonna be physical. They are very talented. So we have to be ready for that. For sure they're a very talented team. They have a very deep roster. Again, it's a whole new situation for them also, so they have to get used to each other. So it's for us, it's going to be a challenge. I'm looking forward to this game."
Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv (19:45 CEST)
Igor Kokoskov, Efes head coach
"Starting the EuroLeague, we have a disadvantage that we're gonna play a home game away. But it's it is what it is. We understand that we've not played the perfect game because we only had four practices as a team. That's a big disadvantage. But nobody really cares and asks us about all these issues that we have. We just have to be prepared, focused and give our best. We understand that we don't play a perfect game but hopefully gonna be good enough to win the game."
Shane Larkin, Efes guard
"Maccabi is always a challenging team because of the style they play. We have to be focused and make sure we take care of the ball to limit them from getting out in transition. If we do that and compete on the defensive side of the ball, I think we will start our season in a positive way."
Oded Kattash, Maccabi head coach
"Anadolu Efes is very talented, with many creative guards, shooting ability, and a coach who does things differently - very creative. It’s quite clear that we’ll need to stop them on a team level. They also brought in new players, but ones who already know European basketball, which makes it easier."
Roman Sorkin, Maccabi forward
"We’re at the beginning of the season, it’s new for everyone. We’re mainly focusing on ourselves. There are players here for whom this is their first year in Europe, so we need to give them time. None of our teams over the years have looked its best at the start. It does matter, but it’s not the main thing - it’s better that we look good later on, in the decisive stages. We need to connect, to play together, and that’s not simple. We’ve got a great group of guys here. The social side is amazing, everyone here is talented, and that’s why they’re here."
Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (20:00 CEST)
Ettore Messina, Milan head coach
"We play a tough game, on a tough court and against a very competitive Red Star team. We face this with the enthusiasm coming from being aware of how good we could be as a team based on defense, rebounding and ball circulation. This is what we are trying to build as an identity. Unfortunately, we will start without Lorenzo Brown but the return of Marko Guduric and the players we couldn't use during the Super Cup weekend give us the confidence of being able to play a very good game."
Shavon Shields, Milan forward
"We are starting a very competitive EuroLeague season on the road and Belgrade will test our mental toughness immediately. We will need to stay focus and play hard and together for 40 minutes."
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens vs. FC Bayern Munich (20:15 CEST)
Ergin Ataman, Panathinaikos head coach
"Important thing is to be ready mentally after a long break. It does not matter which team we play, we must be ready. That’s the reality. It’s the beginning of the season. Bayern has a lot of new players, but we also have a lot of key new players that will their official home game. It will be important to play aggressive on defense and find a way to win the game. We are 40% ready, but we know even when we are at 40% we must play aggressive. We also need the help of our supporters, because OAKA is always a hot arena, and that will be our advantage. I am not optimistic about playing great basketball, but I am sure we will play aggressive. Cedi Osman will not play this game. Medical staff will try to [get him ready] for Barcelona on Friday. Mathias Lessort, they say [he will return in] November, so I don’t know when he will join team practices and play games."
TJ Shorts, Panathinaikos guard
"I am doing good, definitely ready to play now. The team is also ready to play. It was a very different preseason, with guys playing in the EuroBasket, the guys travelling to Australia and then the other group coming a little later. And myself, I got very sick. It was an up and down preseason for everybody. To have the last four days of practice and actually being together, we had some time to kind of gel, get to know each other, figure out how we are going to play off each other. I am definitely prepared. There is still a lot to learn, and as a season goes on it will get better."
Gordon Herbert, Bayern head coach
"It's an interesting situation and also a good challenge to come together as a team. Yes, we are only at the beginning of a process, but the guys have trained very well. To a certain extent, I will again be careful not to overload them. And our offensive package will certainly develop slowly at first."
Vladimir Lucic, Bayern forward
"I've been a pro for 18 years now, but I've never seen 80 percent of the team missing in preseason because of national teams or injuries. We've had a week and a half of training together and on Tuesday we start on one of the toughest EuroLeague courts, against perhaps the most talented team ever. Our initial goal is to adapt to the tough schedule with eleven double weeks and little training. We have to get through the games, and there will certainly be bumps in the road, especially away from home, on this wild ride. But we just have to stick together and trust the process of getting better every day."
Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. Olympiacos Piraeus (20:30 CEST)
Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos head coach
"Without a doubt, the game against Baskonia is dangerous. Neither I nor anyone on our team sees it as if there’s a favorite. It’s a tough road game in the EuroLeague. Things are uncertain regarding what each team will bring. We don’t think of ourselves as the favorite. We really have to work very hard on the court to beat a team that presses all over the floor, sets traps, plays man-to-man defense, and imposes a tempo on the game that you have to control. I don’t think there’s any danger of underestimating the opponent. That’s not in our minds."
Saben Lee, Olympiacos guard
"It’s going to be a tough game. They’re a strong, aggressive team. We need to keep following the coach’s plan. As for us, I think we’ve made great progress in our preparation. I trust the team. The coaching staff has prepared us very well, and I’m excited to get started."
Virtus Bologna vs. Real Madrid (20:45 CEST)
Dusko Ivanovic, Virtus head coach
"We start the EuroLeague against one of the best teams in the competition, with a truly complete roster. They play hard and use transition a lot as an offensive solution. We need to improve on a few things from our last game against Milan, playing better defense, and being more present on the rebounds."
Alessandro Pajola, Virtus guard
"We begin our EuroLeague campaign at home in front of our fans, and that should help us against a top-level team, one of the best in the EuroLeague. It will be a game that we need to approach with concentration from the outset, especially starting with our defense, which must be our trademark for the entire 40 minutes."
Sergio Scariolo, Real Madrid head coach
"It's certainly a tough away game against a very athletic team, with players with tremendous scoring talent, in a very atypical environment, on a small court with a lot of passion and warmth surrounding the players throughout the game. It's the first EuroLeague game, with all the unknowns, with a team that's still developing, that doesn't have its mechanisms perfectly oiled and that is often resolved with effort, aggression, rebound control, one-on-one defense, desire, and concentration to play those late games, making few mistakes and forcing the opponent to make mistakes."
Gabriel Deck, Real Madrid forward
"Obviously, it's very important to try to get off on the right foot, with a win, and we hope to do so, but it will be a very tough game against a good team. We hope to rise to the occasion and bring the victory home. They'll have the added bonus of being at home in this first game, so we'll have to put in a lot of effort."
Wednesday, October 1
AS Monaco vs. Zalgiris Kaunas (19:30 CEST)
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Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. Paris Basketball (19:45 CEST)
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LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. Valencia Basket (20:00 CEST)
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