Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Round 3 of the 2025-26 EuroLeague season
Pregame quotes, Round 3: 'This is not just another game for us'
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Wednesday, October 8
Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv vs. Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv (20:05 CEST)
Dimitris Itoudis, Hapoel head coach
"It’s a derby and the importance of this game touches on multiple areas. We’re in a good place, we started the season well, but we know that every game carries great significance for us, especially as we’re new to the EuroLeague. We’re playing against a very athletic team and facing a dangerous opponent - a team with great skills, size, shooters, pick-and-roll threats, and big guys. Overall, it’s a team that can really hurt you if you’re not fully aware or well prepared."
Elijah Bryant, Hapoel guard
"We’re excited about this upcoming game. Every game brings a different test to our team, and it’s another opportunity to get better and improve as a team. We’re looking forward to the fight."
Oded Kattash, Maccabi head coach
"It’s a more historic day for Hapoel Tel Aviv than for us, and we will need to adapt ourselves to the event. We are coming after a loss that hurt us in terms of experience and aggressiveness. It is an important EuroLeague game, and so far we haven’t proven that we can play good basketball. We will need to come with more aggressiveness and commitment. We know how important this game is for the fans"
John DiBartolomeo, Maccabi guard
"We understand the meaning of this game, and the other players also understand the importance of the derby. It is hard to put into words how important it is, but we are ready and excited to be part of this history. We don’t need to let the pressure affect us, but rather let the excitement of this historic and important game lead us. We wanted to start the season better, but what’s important now is to win the derby, and that’s always our mindset in such a game."
Roman Sorkin, Maccabi forward
"They have a very good team, there’s no denying that. But in the end, the story is us. We want and do everything to come to every game and win. I think we are improving from game to game, people are fitting in, and even if it as not yet reflected in victories, it will come. This is not just another game for us. It doesn’t matter if it is the beginning, middle, or end of the season, we are coming to win."
Thursday, October 9
Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul (20:30 CEST)
Zeljko Obradovic, Partizan head coach
"Efes has a great quality. Igor Kokoskov has returned to European basketball, and his signature is immediately visible in the way the team plays. You can see it both in their style of play and in the way he tries to turn every situation to his team’s advantage. They have very useful players - both in their starting five and coming off the bench. They also have the most efficient scorer at the moment, Jordan Loyd, as well as two big men with very different playing styles. These are all things we have analyzed and prepared for. Once again, I want to emphasize that we must stay focused until the very last minute, because those are the keys to the game if we want to win."
Sterling Brown, Partizan guard
"I expect it to be a good game for all 40 minutes. They’re going to come out and run their sets, they have some good veteran players, and we’re going to do the same. We’ve had a couple of good days of practice, so I feel like we’re well prepared. The new floor we’re playing on is really nice. Our game plan is to apply pressure on the defensive end, make it tough for their good shooters, and do our job to contain them. We need to make them play defense. Rebounding will be important, and on offense we’ll look to dictate and control the rhythm. As I said, they have some good scorers, so we need to focus on that a little more."
Igor Kokoskov, Efes head coach<br> "We are playing at one of the toughest places to play, it's obviously the Belgrade Arena. They have a great crowd, great fans, it’s really a difficult place to play. They have one of the best coaches in Europe. They have a deep roster, a lot of new names and they have some continuity, some guys stayed from last year. So we know it's going to be a very difficult game. But our main focus remains on ourselves. We’ve only played four games together so far, so we’re still a very new team. We’ll go through the reports, study the scouting, and of course talk about Partizan, but our priority is improving our own game. So we are gonna be focusing ourselves. At this point of the season, we are really mainly focusing on our own team."
Jordan Loyd, Efes guard
"Looking ahead to the game against Partizan, I think firstly, they’re a great, tough and a physical team. Playing in Belgrade, with the atmosphere their fans create, is something every hooper looks forward to. It’s always a fun atmosphere to be part of, and we’re really excited about that. They have great guards, strong wings and [Tyrique] Jones in the middle. They can show a lot of different schemes. So I think we just got to pay attention to our scouting, try to make their guards as uncomfortable as possible and take care of the rebounds. For us, the key is to go there with confidence. On the road, you have to believe in yourself if you want to get a big win. It’s a game everyone on our team looks forward to. My mindset is always the same, never too high, never too low. We just have to stay level headed in the atmosphere. And just no matter what happens in the game, just stay level. So we're excited and can't wait to get there."
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs. AS Monaco (20:30 CEST)
Ettore Messina, Milan head coach
"The game is obviously tough against a Final Four team now featuring Nikola Mirotic: we will welcome him back with pleasure. Monaco is a team with enormous offensive potential. We will have to stay connected the entire game and stay organized on both ends of the floor. The first two games in Belgrade were both very good, but a step up and further growth is necessary to win our home opener."
Bryant Dunston, Milan center
"It is a good test for us against a Final Four team. They have been playing together, with the same core, for years and it shows on the court. They have a legendary player as a coach and the ability to score. It will be crucial for us to stop them from doing their things, so defense will be required. Our mentality is to keep everybody focused, never get excited after a win and never get too down after a loss. Whatever happens we need to move on, stay healthy and play together."
Vassilis Spanoulis, Monaco head coach
"The start of the season has been tougher since the SuperCup, with two losses for us, apart from what we managed to do against Dubai. Like all Euroleague teams, we need time. We need to review our approach and our mindset, and that will be reflected in more successful starts to games and in developing a more precise, more intense game. When we are the best version of Monaco, we are a dangerous team."
Jaron Blossomgame, Monaco forward
"It's still very early in the season, the pieces of the puzzle are still coming together. We played a great game against Dubai, but our approach wasn't right against Chalon in the French League. In Milan, we want to find our best basketball, raise our level to where it should be. Milan is a very well-coached team with dangerous scorers. We'll have to be ready, especially on defense."
Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (20:30 CEST)
Paolo Galbiati, Baskonia head coach
"They are a great team, because of the roster. When they start, they have [Kendrick] Nunn, [Jerian] Grant, [TJ] Shorts, [Kostas] Sloukas, I can mention all the players of the roster. It's a great team. And for us, it's a great opportunity. We have to play our style, we have to try to impose our pace and our spacing. Spacing will be crucial tomorrow against their bigger bodies. And again, on defense, we want to grow. We want to be more physical, more smart, more tactical, and try to erase the bad moments."
Paris Basketball vs. Virtus Bologna (20:45 CEST)
Dusko Ivanovic, Virtus head coach
"It will be a difficult game because Paris are playing aggressively, with a lot of intensity, just like last year. They play a lot in transition and are very good at offensive rebounding. First of all, we will have to control the pace of the game."
Momo Diouf, Virtus center
"It will be an intense match, both physically and mentally. Paris is a team that runs a lot and manages every possession with energy. We will need clarity and patience on our part to try to win the game."
Real Madrid vs. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (21:00 CEST)
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Friday, October 10
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (19:45 CEST)
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Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Dubai Basketball (20:15 CEST)
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FC Bayern Munich vs. Zalgiris Kaunas (20:30 CEST)
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FC Barcelona vs. Valencia Basket (20:30 CEST)
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