Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Round 16 of the 2024-25 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season.
Pregame quotes hub: 'We have to be in sync altogether for 40 minutes'
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Wednesday, December 18
Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (18:30 CET)
Tomislav Mijatovic, Anadolu Efes Istanbul head coach
"Now we are opening the double game week of the EuroLeague at home, very excited to come in front of our fans. And hopefully, together with the great synergy between us and the stands, we will fight together for 40 minutes against one very physical and very athletic team with a lot of experienced players. They have a very experienced coach who put a very dangerous team together. We have to be in sync altogether – the stands, fans and the whole bench, the 12 players – for 40 minutes. We have to fight, do the right things and win the small battles for 40 minutes. We have to play our own Efes game for 40 minutes in order to reach our goal, which is to win the game and celebrate together."
Derek Willis, Anadolu Efes Istanbul forward
"Crvena Zvezda is a much improved team that we have to hit first. If you let them get comfortable, then it could be a long night for us."
Ioannis Sfairopoulos, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade head coach
"We are playing against Efes, which is a very talented team, their players can score a lot of points and do you damage when they have a good day. The rhythm of the game is very important, we have to control it, we have to play well in defense and offense, if we want to have a chance, we will have to have a complete game."
Nemanja Nedovic, Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade guard
"We have another tough game ahead of us, and every away game is very tough. Larkin has returned to Efes, who is a serious weapon in attack. On an already quite high-quality outside line. But we see some of our chances. They are powerful, they showed that in the game with Panathinaikos. They come to this game, like us, in a good mood. They will try to repeat that match, it is up to us to stop their game in transition."
Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Virtus Segafredo Bologna (20:15 CET)
Georgios Bartzokas, Olympiacos Piraeus head coach
"First, I want to express my deepest condolences to the Janis Timma family. I personally and the whole team are devastated by the tragic news. As far as concerns the game, Bologna has a new coach, and that gives them an extra push. Our opponent is an experienced team with talent and potential. That means that we have to be focused for forty minutes in order to get the win. We are coming after two losses, and that makes the win imposed. We had many difficulties the last period because of some injuries and some health issues as well. But Vezenkov and Fournier, who were suffering from viral infections, are feeling much better, and Fall, who was out because of injury, will practice today, and he will play against Bologna."
Kostas Papanikolaou, Olympiacos Piraeus forward
"We are shocked and saddened to learn that Janis Timma has passed away. He was a great guy, very quiet and smiley. The sad thing is that we are not in a position to know what burden each one carries in his arms. Emotional health is the most important; that’s why we should pay attention to people and see if there is any way to help. My deepest condolences to his family. Now about Bologna… The win against Baskonia and the fact that they have a new coach on their bench are helping them to have better physiology, and they want to build on it. They have experienced players who, all those years, have been playing at the top level, and they have won titles. It is an extremely important game for us, especially after the last two losses. We need the win tomorrow in order to make a fresh start."
Dusko Ivanovic, Virtus Segafredo Bologna head coach
"Olympiacos is a very strong team, especially when playing at home, experienced and with great players. Right now, we have to find our character and energy to try to win every game."
Will Clyburn, Virtus Segafredo Bologna forward
"We face Olympiacos, they will be aggressive from the start. They are coming from a loss in the EuroLeague, so I expect a very passionate environment. We will have to play a good game, controlling their pace and trying not to turn on their fans. We will have to play our basketball."
Tuesday, December 17
AS Monaco vs. FC Bayern Munich (19:00 CET)
Vassilis Spanoulis, AS Monaco head coach
"Bayern is a very good team. We're also a very good team. We have to be ready for this game. We're not too enthusiastic when we win and not too low mentally when we lose. We want to keep a solid balance, work hard every day, understand what it takes to achieve our goals. You have to be ready for every game. Our first objective was to pass the ball better, then to defend more solidly, we're also trying to be quicker in execution, I'm very satisfied with the efforts made by the guys every day."
Mam Jaiteh, AS Monaco center
"I was hungry to get back on the court. I'm going to have to be patient and do whatever it takes to get back into a certain rhythm. Everyone's aware of that – the staff, the coach – and little by little it's going to come back with more responsibility. Our style of play has evolved and I feel that I have a lot to learn, so that I can take things to the next level on a personal level. Bayern is a big team, they weren't expected to be at this level, and they're having a huge season. It's a crucial game for us, a playoff game, and we're going to have to put in the right ingredients to win. I'm determined and aware of what's at stake. I'm going to contribute what I can when I'm called upon. One of the main reasons [for the positive recent performances] is the coach and his winning, champion mentality. He's very demanding, and that obviously helps us a lot. The team gets the message. That's the main reason for all this."
Gordon Herbert, FC Bayern Munich head coach
"I think only a few small details have changed at Monaco so far. A bit more ball movement, and James is passing a bit more. We need to play a bit differently on the road than at home, especially defending better and controlling the tempo on offense. But Monaco just won by 30 points at Fener – this is a team playing at the highest level."
Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs. Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (20:05 CET)
Oded Kattash, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv head coach
"Transition defense, restrict their three-pointers, defense, and box out. It's easy to say, but like most of the EuroLeague teams, they want to push the ball, high-tempo game, really aggressive on the boards, good shooting team. We have to be really consistent with our defensive hustle and structure and communication, all the little things that can restrict their three-pointers."
Jaylen Hoard, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv forward
"We've got to lock in on personnel. A lot of guys have very specific ways that they play and how they get to it on offense, so I feel like just trying to control them and what they're good at on the defensive side. They're really good at offensive rebounds, they play really hard, so just matching their intensity and paying attention to the details [will be key]."
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (20:15 CET)
Ergin Ataman, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens head coach
"In the EuroLeague, all teams during the season have some difficult periods. Some teams started very bad, but then won many games in a row. Some teams, like us, we started very well but now we have lost three out of our last four games. It can happen. It is not important to concentrate on the two games we lost by a huge difference; if we lost by two or four points, it doesn't change anything. We need to be focused, we need to be strong in our two home-court games. In the 15 games, we have won eight games. We play two games at home in this double week and we need to focus altogether with the fans, the players, everybody, to win these two games, and then you will see that we are in a very good position in the standings."
Konstantinos Mitoglou, Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens forward
"It’s clearly a team issue. We reviewed our performance, analyzed it, and are working every day to improve. In our analysis, we identified the problems. We need to play with more energy on defense and, overall, be more aggressive defensively. Offensively, we must make better decisions. Every day, we’re trying to improve. Losses are also part of the game. It’s very important that we’re playing the next games at OAKA. We need to build momentum, which will be beneficial for us. This is an opportunity to start an upward trajectory. Milan is in great form. We need to play very hard against a highly talented team. They’re a well-coached side. We have to come out strong, and with our fans by our side, we can get the win. We know our fans will support us – we have no doubt about that. When the fans are with us, no team can beat us at OAKA. We need them."
Ettore Messina, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan head coach
"We face the European champions while they are very angry. This is a combination that normally proves to be dangerous. We know it, we know that paying close to our limits will be necessary to give ourselves a chance. Obviously, the defense will be crucial against a team that is so good and can create a lot off the pick and roll situations. Offensively, we'll need to move the ball well, otherwise t will be very hard to build good shots. This a very prestigious game and we fully intend to honor it to the best of our capabilities."
Paris Basketball vs. Real Madrid (20:30 CET)
Chus Mateo, Real Madrid head coach
“Paris Basketball is a team that plays very fast, without fear, is able to play at various speeds during a game and does not speculate when it comes to running or taking three-point shots. They have a point guard who is being one of the sensations of the EuroLeague as TJ Shorts, who is generating and also finishing a lot of game giving a lot of points to his team. Tiago Splitter has achieved something magnificent in a team, which is to generate a positive dynamic that allows you to play without fear and without responsibility for doing badly. He has been able to read perfectly what his team needed and that is why Paris is playing at a very high level. It will be a long match, with a lot of pace for sure because our opponent tomorrow will be like that and we will always try to be ready to slow down their ability to run because Paris runs the field very well. We have to be ready to go down to defend, to not lose balls and to play with that rhythm."
Gaby Deck, Real Madrid forward
“We head into tomorrow's game with a lot of concentration and seriousness because we know that we are facing a great rival like Paris Basketball, which is doing very well. We must be aware that we are playing in a tough, difficult court and we hope we can show our best version there. I think the key to the game could be in our concentration, in giving our hundred percent from minute one to minute forty, in trying to make as few mistakes as possible. It would also be important to string together four good quarters, four regular periods without ups and downs, which is what we are lacking right now."
FC Barcelona vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (20:30 CET)
Joan Penarroya, FC Barcelona head coach
"It leaves me a little concerned, but it's time to not talk too much and do the job. We repeated what happened to us against Olimpia Milano and we threw away 26 minutes of work. Each of us must improve, we should not look so much at what our teammates are doing. We have to perform, we are at Barça and now we have to be quiet and together in a situation in which we are not playing well, with a lack of connection, but we must improve from the basics, something that everyone knows how to do. I am responsible for the team to play better, but it's not just up to me, it's up to all of us. We all have to work together to reverse a complicated situation. I have rarely held as many meetings as I have, we are all clear about what needs to be done, but things are not working out. The players have shown that things can be done well, but we have to avoid the disconnections and frustrations we feel. We have to put aside that feeling of frustration and do the things we know how to do well, not know them or talk about them, but do them."
Dario Brizuela, FC Barcelona guard
"People are upset, but no one is in the doldrums. We are hungry, we know the situation we are in and we want to compete. The feeling in the dressing room is one of anger, of wanting to turn this situation around. All of the players are totally committed to the team, I trust them 200%. We already have that as a starting point. We are playing against a very difficult opponent, the calendar is unforgiving and the best way to get out of this is to get a win. We must put aside the bad feelings and doubts and go for the next one. The best thing is to work, train well and prepare for the game in the best possible way."
Sarunas Jasikevicius, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul head coach
"We’re playing against one of the most talented teams in Europe. The guard line of Satoransky, Punter, Brizuela is extremely talented. A lot of scoring from Parker and Vesely. One of the best teams in EuroLeague in transition basketball when they play at home. They score a lot of things in transition and this is where our focus must be: trying to take away all the easy points and to have better defensive performances that we had in the last games."
Sertac Sanli, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul center
"We are heading into the first game of a tough double-week. Barcelona is a strong opponent, and after a few poor results, they will likely show a reaction in this game. A very challenging game awaits us. We must maintain our game plan for 40 minutes and focus on good defense."
Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade vs. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (20:45 CET)
Zeljko Obradovic, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade head coach
"ASVEL has changed their style of play compared to last year, thanks to their new coach. The team is very well put together with clear ideas. Maledon is their leader, while Lauvergne effectively uses the low post, and De Colo is a player who consistently gets the ball in crucial moments throughout his career. They are a strong rebounding team with young players who take a lot of three-point shots. However, it may be more important to focus on ourselves because we are facing significant challenges. We had only 10 players in practice today, as Marinkovic, Davies, Ntilikina, Lundberg, and Nakic are all unavailable, and I doubt any of them will be ready for tomorrow's game. We’ve tried to respond the best we can with the players we have, but it’s hard to predict how it will all look on the court, so we are expecting an extremely tough game."
Duane Washington, Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade forward
"We are excited and eager to extend our EuroLeague streak. This game is a great opportunity to secure another win under our belt. We're determined to finish the year strong, the team had a solid practice today and tomorrow we rest and get ready."
ALBA Berlin vs. Zalgiris Kaunas (20:45 CET)
Israel Gonzalez, ALBA Berlin head coach
"Zalgiris is a balanced team with a lot of strong offensive players. They're especially dangerous from the three-point line. Francisco and Walker are incredibly strong on the drive to the basket, while Sirvydis and Dunston are excellent pick-and-roll players. They also have one of the strongest defenses in the league. All that makes it very difficult to play against Kaunas."
Louis Olinde, ALBA Berlin forward
"Zalgiris is a good team, which they proved already early in the season. With Francisco and Walker, Zalgiris has two strong guards who are very quick, can shoot well and attack the basket hard. It will definitely be a very physical game again, with Kaunas mainly playing through their guards. We have to control that and try to take away their strengths right from the start."
