Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Round 18 of the 2025-26 EuroLeague season
Pregame quotes, Round 18: 'Monaco's roster is built to be at the top'
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Friday, December 26
Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade vs. Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv (18:00 CET)
Joan Penarroya, Partizan head coach
"They’re a team that’s won four games in a row and comes in with good momentum and a positive atmosphere. Our main focus is on ourselves and continuing to improve our game. I’ve walked into a good situation with the players, especially considering how difficult the past month has been and they’re really making an effort to turn things around. I’ll do my best to prepare the team in the best possible way. The schedule makes it challenging, with limited time to work, but the players have shown great commitment and desire, and we’ll keep working to be as ready as possible."
Cameron Payne, Partizan guard
"I’m looking forward to the next game and the season ahead. I came here to give my best, to play with a high pace and bring energy to every game. I’m a competitor, and I believe we have a good team that needs to compete together. I can promise that my effort and energy will always be at 100%, and we will try to win every game, starting with Maccabi."
Oded Kattash, Maccabi head coach
"We’re missing Hankins, but overall we’re in relatively good shape. The issue is that we don’t know what to expect, both in terms of their roster and because they have a new coach. We’re not really at our peak in terms of preparation, and it’s going to be a tough challenge.”
Marcio Santos, Maccabi center
"We know they've got a good environment. There's always a lot of fans, a lot of energy, but we come with a lot of energy too. We're practicing a lot. Everybody's confident with the work we're putting in. And I think it's just go and play our best game. I think the mental focus is very important. It's going to be loud, it's going to be difficult to talk and everything. So I think we need to know what we need to do good. We need to play good defense. We need to know where to attack, where to do the stuff and we will be good."
AS Monaco vs. Real Madrid (19:30 CET)
Sergio Scariolo, Real Madrid head coach
“The team has trained quite well. We have a few little physical issues, which at this stage of the season is normal, but overall the condition is quite good. And I also expect that there will be an awareness that we are going to play against the EuroLeague runner-up, which has a core of very, very high quality and great efficiency not only on offense, but also on defense. They have been playing together for years and last year they came one step away from winning the EuroLeague. They have managed to add a top player like Nikola Mirotic and two players of great experience and effectiveness, and obviously we are talking about the highest level of competition you can face. That is why we must have a lot of discipline, a lot of concentration, a lot of patience, a great capacity to withstand frustration, because it is a team that can easily score difficult baskets on you at the end of one of your good defensive possessions, and it is also a team that can prevent you from scoring for three, four, five possessions in a row. I think that if we are mentally capable of staying in the game, of staying focused, of truly not losing confidence in our possibilities, and if we can bring it to a close finish, then we can also have chances to win, even on one of the most complicated courts there is nowadays — not because of the arena itself, but obviously because of the opponent.”
Alberto Abalde, Real Madrid guard
“We approach this game with a lot of desire. It’s an important game and a challenge against a great team and a great rival that, like all teams, goes through different moments during the season, but they have a fantastic squad and a competitive roster built to be at the top all year. We’re playing away and it’s always tough to win there because they play really well… Defense is always one of the keys, but against a team with so many weapons and so many playmakers, it’s going to be a challenge. We’ll try to do a good job there and be consistent so that it’s hard for them to score, so they don’t play with rhythm, and so that we, starting from our defense, can establish our own pace and find good situations on offense. It will be a long, tough game with different moments, and we’ll have to work for the full 40 minutes and be ready for a very demanding contest!”
Virtus Bologna vs. Olympiacos Piraeus (20:30 CET)
Giorgos Bartzokas, Olympiacos head coach
"We have shown great improvement. In our recent games, we have scored 101 points, with more assists, creating more open spot-up opportunities. If we play with defensive intensity and move the ball well on offense, I think we’ll have a chance to win. In any case, every win is important. The more wins we get, the better. Our approach is always one game at a time.”
Kostas Papanikolaou, Olympiacos forward
“It’s a team that really likes to play a very physical style of basketball, to disrupt the opponent’s system, cut off easy passes, and apply denial defense. The main focus is to match that energy and play at the same level. From there on, we have the talent and the players to give something extra, but everything has to start from that aspect.”
Tuesday, December 23
Dubai Basketball vs. EA7 Emporio Armani Milan (17:00 CET)
Jurica Golemac, Dubai head coach
"They are a team that is playing very smart with a lot of experience and a lot of quality. They have a lot of players from last year, too. Like always, we need to be very focused and we need to make it difficult for them. Hopefully the fans are going to give us energy to play intense and energetic basketball on both sides to keep the W at home."
Klemen Prepelic, Dubai guard
"We are facing a very experience team that lately have been in good form. They've had a couple of very good wins. As I always say, we are playing at home and we are in good form as well. We had a huge win in Istanbul, so we are trying to build on that win tomorrow in front of our fans. They punish every mistake and they have a couple of really good shooters, so we need to contain that by getting the defensive rebounds and easy baskets."
Peppe Poeta, Milan head coach
"Dubai is going through a good stretch of games, won three of the last four games and has a lot of offensive potential and very versatile big men. For us, the kind of job we will be able to make over McKinley Wright, who's their primary creative player, will be crucial along the ability to keep their talented scorers to go off too much."
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. FC Barcelona (18:45 CET)
Sarunas Jasikevicius, Fenerbahce head coach
"We're playing against the hardest team in the EuroLeague right now. They are playing very good basketball. Huge improvements defensively and so much experience. Especially on the outside players, you know, with [Tomas] Satoransky, [Kevin] Punter, [Nico] Laprovittola, [Dario] Brizuela, who can decide the games by themselves. And one of the best coached team in the EuroLeague for sure."
Talen Horton-Tucker, Fenerbahce guard
"We just have to come out focused. Just being able to capitalize off the last EuroLeague win is something that we need to do. Knowing that they just came in as a harder and experienced team. I know they're going to play hard and not make too many mistakes. So we have to force them to play the way that we want to play. My message to our fans? Bring the energy because we're gonna need it."
Xavi Pascual, Barcelona head coach
"[Fenerbahce] is the reigning champion, an extraordinary team with a very deep roster, very well coached, as we all know, and a major force in Europe. Both teams will do a lot of defensive work and try to control the opponent’s strengths – that’s guaranteed – and on offense we’ll also try to attack their weaknesses. So I think it will be an interesting game in that sense, both for spectators and for fans who enjoy following games from a tactical perspective. The team is working very well, with a strong desire to win, very focused on doing things right, and putting in a lot of physical effort. Along the way we’ve had three injured players – well, actually four. We haven’t gotten Lapro back 100% yet. Jan [Vesely] helped us a little yesterday, but he’s still not fully fit, and we’re still without Will [Clyburn] and Toko [Shengelia]. So clearly the physical toll has been significant, but as long as the results keep coming, it’s always worth it."
Miles Norris, Barcelona forward
"The vibes are good here. Everyone's locked in, everyone's really focused in practice and coming into the games. It's always good to get some wins. We've got some momentum with us, so we're just trying to keep it rolling. It should be a fun game tomorrow, crazy atmosphere. We haven't played them yet, but I feel like everyone's focused and locked in for this game tomorrow."
Zalgiris Kaunas vs. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (19:00 CET)
Tomas Masiulis, Zalgiris head coach
"A Final Four–caliber team is coming in – a team with a lot of talent and a lot of experience, especially in the backcourt. A very tough challenge awaits us. They definitely lose experience and creativity [with the absence of Kostas Sloukas], but even without him they still have talented and experienced players. Others will step up. You can’t say they’re heavily damaged. Sloukas has been playing very well this season, distributing the ball and making his teammates better, so it is a loss for them to some extent. Every team focuses heavily on [Kendrick Nunn], yet he still averages 20 points. We have ideas, we have plans, and we’ll try to execute them. Tomorrow we’ll see how successful we are."
Ergin Ataman, Panathinaikos head coach
"First of all, I would like to wish everyone a Merry Christmas. Many people have sent me wishes for some rest, but there is no time to rest. We are flying to Kaunas and we have a tough game ahead of us. Zalgiris, especially at home, plays very aggressively and there is an incredible atmosphere in the arena. It will be a difficult game, but we are in good form. The EuroLeague is strange; many teams are separated by just one win, so this game is very important. Our performance on game day will decide the result. [Kostas Sloukas] is a very important player for us. We have a big roster, we have [Jerian] Grant and [TJ] Shorts, who will get more minutes. We have the roster to manage the situation. I hope [Richaun] Holmes will play. He played very well in the domestic league. We will miss Sloukas, but we have the roster to remain competitive."
TJ Shorts, Panathinaikos guard
"It will be a very tough game. We know their fans, I’m sure it’s already sold out. Very good team, good players. It will be a big battle. Facing [Sylvain] Francisco is a test. It’s not extra motivation; you always want to play well against the best. He’s having a great season. It will be a challenge for us to stop him and make things difficult for him. We are missing a player (Sloukas), so everyone will have to do a little more to fill the gap. Me, [Kendrick] Nunn, [Jerian] Grant – whoever steps on the floor will need to give a little extra for us to get the win."
FC Bayern Munich vs. Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv (19:30 CET)
Svetislav Pesic, Bayern head coach
"Hapoel is currently the best team in Europe, and they are also first in Israel, in a very strong league. This opponent must motivate us to show our best basketball. And that's what we will try to do."
Dimitris Itoudis, Hapoel head coach
"We’re facing an opponent that has spent around 40 days away from home, playing abroad, and now also working with a new coach. They’re highly motivated, and those are two very important factors. On top of that, they have a roster full of quality and very experienced players who have competed at the highest levels. For us, this is a moment to bounce back. We’re focused on playing with consistency on both ends of the floor, offensively and defensively."ž
Collin Malcolm, Hapoel forward
"It’s a big game for us to bounce back after the last loss. We’re facing a very competitive and talented team, and with the extra fire that comes from having a new coach, it can be tricky, but we’ll be ready."
Valencia Basket vs. Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz (20:00 CET)
Pedro Martinez, Valencia head coach
"They are different competitions. I think we shouldn't dwell too much on what happened two weeks ago and be prepared for a very tough game, as all EuroLeague games are. Baskonia is indeed achieving the results it is achieving, which are frankly very good, and obviously they have a team with players of great ability. At home, you feel more comfortable, and we're coming off two losses. First, we need to regain a little confidence from our recent results and, above all, draw energy from our fans. Not only do they have [Timothe] Luwawu-Cabarrot and [Markus] Howard, but they also have other players like [Trent] Forrest and [Kobi] Simmons. They have a very good team, with players who are very capable of scoring in many different ways, with direct blocks and indirect blocks. They're a very physical team, with big players inside who are very good, and it's obviously going to be a very difficult game.”
Paris Basketball vs. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (20:45 CET)
Sasa Obradovic, Crvena Zvezda head coach
"I know the Paris team very well from my time coaching in France. It’s clear what style of play they use and what we need to do. If someone is late or falls down, they will always punish you with a three-pointer or an offensive rebound. On the other hand, our rotation is shorter. Even though there is some room for rest, it’s still obvious that the team is dealing with physical issues. January is a tough month – we have to focus both on recovery and on preparing for the opponent, especially for players who play a physically demanding style. It’s good that [Jasiel] Rivero and [Ognjen] Dobric have started training. Rivero has begun activities; when [Joel] Bolomboy arrives, we’ll see what condition he’s in and when he can join team practice. We need to see how he reacts after everything he’s been through. Bolomboy arrives next week, Rivero is working individually, and Dobric has started running – I expect him back in a few days' time."
Devonte' Graham, Crvena Zvezda guard
"We need to stay aggressive, rebound, and control their pressure. We’re taking it one game at a time. These games come with a different kind of pressure. There’s not too much pressure – we just want to win."
LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul (20:45 CET)
Pablo Laso, Efes head coach
"LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne is always a dangerous team. They have a lot of physical players and when playing at home, they bring a lot of energy. This is a demanding period for every team, as we are playing many games in a short period of time. That means it's not only about being physically ready, but also about understanding mentally what we are playing for. It's crucial for us to have the right mentality and be prepared physically, because our opponent has many athletes on their roster, good scorers, and players who have played together for many years. We must play our best basketball for 40 minutes."
Isaia Cordinier, Efes guard
"It’s a very important game for us as we want to keep improving and keep going forward. It will be a fight that will require our maximum focus and effort to come back with the win from Lyon."
