Check out what the coaches and players are saying ahead of Round 8 of the 2025-26 EuroLeague season
Pregame quotes, Round 8: 'I love Jabari Parker, that's my brother'
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Friday, October 31
AS Monaco vs. Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens (19:00 CET)
Ergin Ataman, Panathinaikos head coach
"Monaco is a very good team. Actually, they are very similar to last year's roster that they played the final of the EuroLeague with. I watched the game against Olympiacos, the had a great game, especially Mike James. He played great, together with Alpha Diallo. It will be a tough game. There is a balance between the two rosters. It's the same strategy, too. We need to play smart without turnovers, and the defense will be important because they have extremely good offensive players."
Konstantinos Mitoglou, Panathinaikos forward
"We saw that AS Monaco got a huge road win yesterday. You can never relax in any EuroLeague game. Our goal is clear — we’re going there with one thing in mind: to win. It’s going to be a very tough game, they’re a very good team with great depth and quality players. The conditions in Monaco are always different, every season is different. I think AS Monaco has more experience this year, and there are higher expectations. Of course, they remember that we’ve won there twice in recent years, but that doesn’t mean anything. It’s a completely new and different season, so I expect a totally different game."
Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv (20:15 CET)
Georgos Bartzokas, Olympiacos head coach
"Defensively, we are well below the level we want to be at, and the level we were at in previous years. That requires good teamwork, but also self-sacrifice, determination, and doing all the little things that matter. Right now, we’re not doing those things consistently – only in certain stretches of the game. And of course, if the game turns against us, like it did yesterday, due to the opponent’s quality and many other factors, we lose.
“Now we’re facing the best offense in the league. They average 93 points per game and rank first in many statistical categories. They have isolation plays and get scoring from their pick-and-roll handlers. Obviously, we need to make a defensive step up, both individually and as a team. [Against Monaco], we shot 18% from three-point range, executing in a disorganized way and playing too freely, yet we still scored 88 points. In games like that, in order to score, you have to start from the defensive end. That’s where you gain confidence, speed, and rhythm. Since talent is abundant in EuroLeague teams, if the opponent feels comfortable, you pay for it. That’s what happened [against Monaco]. It’s our job to fix it and to convince the players that this is something we must do consistently."
Tyson Ward, Olympiacos forward
"It’s not a matter of tactics, but of physicality, and how long we can sustain it at a high level. We have to start well and keep that pressure throughout the game. We need to start strong; toughness is the most important thing."
Dimitris Itoudis, Hapoel head coach
"We’re playing against a Final Four team – a team with tremendous experience that has consistently proven its ability to play great basketball and achieve results over the years. It’s another challenge for us in this double week, facing a team that has maintained a very well-structured game under Bartzokas throughout all these years. As I said, for us, it’s another challenge we gladly accept – to go and play in Piraeus, in a hot atmosphere. We like those kinds of challenges."
Antonio Blakeney, Hapoel guard
"Olympiacos is a great team, so this will be a big challenge for us. We must come to compete and hustle on both sides of the court."
Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade vs. FC Barcelona (20:30 CET)
Zeljko Obradovic, Partizan head coach
"We had a morning practice in Sofia to give the players a chance to rest once we get back to Belgrade. We had a lot of good moments yesterday, but in the end, we lost, so we tried to respond the right way. Now we’re playing against Barcelona, a team that’s had an extra day to rest, which definitely makes a difference. Still, I don’t think we should focus on that, we need to concentrate on what defines us when we play well: our fight, our energy, and the support from our fans. I want to call on our fans to stay united and come to the game to help the team. Let’s bring back that well-known atmosphere that has been our trademark for so many years."
Bruno Fernando, Partizan center
"I feel good, I’m excited. I’m really looking forward to being in the arena and feeling the atmosphere. It’s going to be a tough game, obviously, we’re facing a strong opponent, but I’m excited for us to go out there, execute on both ends of the court, and get the win."
Joan Penarroya, Barcelona head coach
"Players like to play in this kind of environment. When you play on a court with this great atmosphere that the Serbian teams create, and Partizan in particular, the player is already connected from the beginning. We know that playing on this court is very difficult, against an opponent that comes off two losses in which he has not competed as he was competing until now, without a player that is also very important for them like Carlik Jones. We will see if [Nick]Calathes is available or not, Bruno Fernando already played yesterday [Wednesday]. It is a team with a lot of individual talent, with Sterling Brown and Washington, who are hitting many three-point shots, with Bonga, who is a bit of a do-it-all player. And little to say about Jabari [Parker] and the quality he has. Well, it is a very dangerous team, and I am sure that tomorrow they will want to take a step forward, and we know that we have to play a very serious game in Belgrade if we want to make the most out it. In this EuroLeague, if you look at the rosters, there are a lot of squads that can fight to be in the Final Four, and Partizan is one of them. Partizan has a very important roster, a very high level roster, but like many of the rosters in this Euroleague. The competition has taken a very important step forwards, and we are talking about the fact that most of the teams can win any game, and you can see it in the competition. Partizan has a talented team but had some losses and signed Fernando and Calathes, who are not just any players. We know that in this EuroLeague, it is very difficult to win any game, but we can win any game. So the idea is to play a solid game and to compete in the best possible way."
Kevin Punter, Barcelona guard
"Everybody knows I was there previously, before here. So, for me, it's like home. I won a title there, so I have a special connection with the people. It's going to be exciting. We have to stay focused, that's the biggest thing. If you haven't experienced it, you just got to experience it. There's nothing that I can say or prepare you for, so just be focused and be locked in just be ready to compete. Obradovic's team is always going to be ready to compete and fight and play hard and have fun. I can't wait. It's going to be fun. I love Jabari [Parker], that's my brother. Obviously, he was here with us. I have been speaking to Jabari throughout the season a little bit, just checking on him, making sure he's alright."
Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul (20:30 CET)
Igor Kokoskov, Efes head coach
"Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz is a young and a talented team. They were also unfortunate to have some injuries early in the season. But they are playing good basketball and had a good home win against Dubai Basketball. We will take this game very serious. A tough schedule is in front of us, so we need to be absolutely focused on this game..."
Nick Weiler-Babb, Efes guard
"The second game of a double week is always tough. Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz played well last game and we have to be focused from the jump ball until the end. It will be a hard-fought game and we want to finish this road trip the right way with a win."
Thursday, October 30
Zalgiris Kaunas vs. LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne (19:00 CET)
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Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv vs. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade (20:05 CET)
Oded Kattash, Maccabi head coach
"Crvena Zvezda is a team in excellent momentum, with their consecutive wins. They’re playing with a lot of confidence right now, especially with a stretch of home games that helped them build that momentum. They’re a very aggressive team, one that attacks the offensive rebounds. We’ll need to come out aggressive and control the boards — that’s something very important for us."
Sasa Obradovic, Crvena Zvezda head coach
"This team knows how to play collectively, the players have been there for several years and they understand each other very well, so they have continuity of unity, which is a threat. They will be even better over time, we are in a specific situation, we know what an away win means, it would be a big win. We are in a situation where we need the integration of injured players and new players, but all of that can also disrupt us."
Stefan Miljenovic, Crvena Zvezda guard
"A dangerous and difficult team. It's a strange feeling that we are playing in Pionir as guests. We will also have the support of our fans. We have to stop their individuals, the biggest threat is certainly Lonnie Walker."
FC Bayern Munich vs. Virtus Bologna (20:30 CET)
Gordon Herbert, Bayern head coach
"It's the same scenario as last season; back then, they also came to us after a loss in Kaunas. We have to keep that in mind. Bologna has enough quality to bounce back—they’ve already claimed big wins over Panathinaikos, Monaco, and even Real. Our really strong performance against Real won’t mean much if we can’t repeat it against Bologna. Carsen Edwards had a great year for this club. It’s good to see him back at SAP Garden on Thursday. The plan is for Spencer [Dinwiddie] to play on Thursday. But we’ll only make the final decision shortly before the game, once we know how things stand with him and the team."
Dusko Ivanovic, Virtus head coach
"In the game against Zalgiris, the way we started and the way we finished the game is absolutely not what we want. We need to improve on many things, but especially on this aspect, and tomorrow we will have another opportunity to do so. We will play against a team that beat Real Madrid here at home in the last EuroLeague round: they are an excellent team, they play well, and we will have to do our best to redeem ourselves."
Alessandro Pajola, Virtus guard
"We're approaching this game with the desire to redeem ourselves after the Kaunas match: we'll need to approach the game much better, trying to limit turnovers and playing as a team in offense. Bayern are coming off a home win against Real Madrid, so we'll also need to be good at managing an electric atmosphere after their last game."
Valencia Basket vs. Dubai Basketball (20:30 CET)
Darius Thompson, Valencia guard
"This is a difficult season for all teams. No one is really safe against anyone. You go out there every night and try to do your best and see how far you can go each day. Because anyone can beat anyone or be beaten by anyone. So you don't really look at each opponent thinking they're better or worse than another team. You just go out there and give it your best shot. We got the win last night and we'll try to do the same on Thursday."
Nate Reuvers, Valencia forward
"In this competition, every game is really tough; there are no easy games. It's great to have the fans here at home; they give us energy. We're up against a very talented team. We have to do what we can to play our style, play our way. If we can do that, we'll have a chance to win. They have good inside players, so we have to give it our best again tomorrow and try to get the win. I feel really good so far. It's the same system as last season. So I feel like I'm continuing to develop and improve every year. And I'm also feeling more comfortable with the team. I think we have a great team this year. And confidence is key."
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan vs. Paris Basketball (20:30 CET)
Ettore Messina, Milan head coach
"Paris Basketball is a team with great athleticism and speed, playing at the highest tempo in the EuroLeague, a team that tries to elevate the number of possessions. Taking care of the defensive transition and, above all, of the great energy that they have attacking the offensive board, with all five players, will be crucial to win this game, along with continuing to move the ball quickly on offense, balancing shots from inside and outside the right way."
Real Madrid vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul (21:00 CET)
Sergio Scariolo, Real Madrid head coach
"We're facing a very demanding doubleheader. The first thing we've worked on is recovering from yesterday's game, especially mentally. Now we're facing the Euroleague champions, a team of the highest quality, physically imposing, with great physical strength and a lot of scoring talent. We have to be able to turn the page, take the court with determination, and, above all, maintain that determination throughout the game with the help of our fans, who have always supported us in our home games and have always left happy with their team's victory."
Walter Tavares, Real Madrid center
"Fenerbahçe is a very difficult opponent as they are the reigning EuroLeague champions. They are a well-established, experienced team that knows how to win. Real Madrid vs. Fenerbahçe is a classic, a very exciting game, but also a very difficult one, and we are going to try to do what we are doing well, which is to protect our home court with our fans. We have to be ready at all times because it will be a 40-minute game. If we play one or two bad quarters, it will be very difficult to win because Fenerbahçe is a team that knows how to manage the pace, and it will be very tough for us. We have to be in the game for the full 40 minutes."
Sarunas Jasikevicius, Fenerbahce head coach
"Well, first of all, in Madrid, we want to see the reaction from us. We want to see a better defensive performance. Madrid will come after the loss very motivated, and we need to match that intensity and really focus on many post-up situations for their frontcourt players and the creation of Campazzo."
Nicolo Melli, Fenerbahce forward
"It's going to be, for sure, a very tough game. We're both coming from a loss. Playing against Real Madrid is always a special game. It's, I would say, already a must-win game. I think it's going to be tough. We need to recover energy after this tough game and try our best to win the game."
