Press conference launches Eurocup Finals weekend! - Main Page

February 07, 2012

Press conference launches Eurocup Finals weekend!

Players and coaches with trophy, Eurocup Finals Presentation Press Conference - Eurocup Finals 2010 Vitoria

Eurocup Finals fever was felt in Vitoria on Friday morning as representatives of all four semifinalist teams took part in the official press conference at the Artium Museum in the city center. Along with the respective head coaches, the press conference stage was full of stars, too, as four Eurocup season award winners represented their teams taking questions from the media. This season's MVP, Marko Banic of Bizkaia Bilbao Basket, was joined by two other All-Eurocup First Team members - Immanuel McElroy of Alba Berlin and Devin Smith of Panellinios BC - as well as the Rising Star Trophy winner, Victor Claver of Power Electronics Valencia. All teams will take part in official practices later on Friday, getting their first chances to practice on the floor at 9,400-seat Fernando Buesa Arena, where the semifinals - Valencia vs. Panellinios and Alba vs. Bilbao - come your way on Saturday.

Panellinios BC head coach Ilias Zouros:

"First of all, I would like to say that we are excited to be here after we started the season in the Qualification Rounds. We don't have the chance to have the big support from the stands that other teams have. We are a young team in Europe: this is our third Eurocup season. We have tried hard and I believe we deserve to be here because we had some great games against good teams. Now, it's different. All the teams in this Eurocup Finals are strong, ready and thinking to win this trophy. I believe that we are well prepared, physically and mentally. We are the underdogs and nobody believes we can do it - but we do believe we can. When you get to this stage, you have to play to win the title. Getting here is not enough. You want to fight. I am very proud of my team and my players. I am sure we will do everything we can to make it to the final and lift the trophy."

Panellinios BC forward Devin Smith:

"Being considered the underdog gives you mixed feelings. Sometimes, being considered the underdogs you don't feel respected, because we have done a very good job from the start of the season. At this point of the competition, however, everyone respects everybody. We are coming to Vitoria with a clear mind and prepared well this week. So I am not worried about being the underdog. We are going to come out and just compete. That is all we can do."
Fotis Katsizaris

Bizkaia Bilbao Basket head coach Fotis Katsikaris:

"The most important fact is that this is our second consecutive season at this level and for a club like Bizkaia Bilbao Basket that is new in Europe and has been in the Spanish League for just five years, it is an honor to be here and compete in this tournament. I expect it to be completely different from the final two Final Eights. The Eurocup Finals take place in two consecutive days. All four teams have to be mentally and physically ready to compete on Saturday, recover your mind and body and try to win the final on Sunday. It's very difficult, but it's the same for all teams. It has not been easy for us to be here and it is very important to in Vitoria. We represent a part of Spain with a lot of pride. Bilbao is well-known for its football club, Athletic, but we want to make history as a basketball team. We have a tough opponent on Saturday in Alba Berlin, a team has been very competitive in the Euroleague recently, and I expect a big game on Saturday. There are always expectations when you get to a situation like the Eurocup Finals. The most important thing under these circumstances is that we are in a good moment and come here with a lot of excitement. It is an important challenge - to win the first-ever European club title in Bizkaia. It makes you do even better at work. We all want to come here to compete and give our best, all of us - players, coaches and the fans that will come from Bilbao. We will have the biggest support in the stands, Vitoria is really close to Bilbao. We have the chance to play an important tournament with our fans backing us. What else can you ask for?"

Bizkaia Bilbao Basket forward Marko Banic:

"First of all, I would like to say hello to everyone here. For us, as well as everyone at the Eurocup Finals, it's a pleasure to be here. I am sure it is going to be a tough game for all four teams and I am sure that having more fans in the stands will have an impact in our game. Bilbao is really close to Vitoria and we expect a very important number of fans. We will have to make the most from this extra boost coming from the stands. We play a well-organized team like Alba, which plays with a lot of intensity. We are expecting a tough game. I don't like the fact that a lot of media sees us already in the final: it is not going to be easy at all. We have a lot of respect for Alba Berlin. My team is quite capable of making it to the final. We gained experience throughout the years and hope to show that on the court."

Neven Spashija

Power Electronics Valencia head coach Neven Spahija:

"Good afternoon everyone. I am proud to be sitting here with my colleagues as Power Electronics Valencia's head coach, with the chance to compete to win a high-level title like the Eurocup. At the same time, I would like to congratulate my colleagues for a very good season that led them to this Eurocup Finals. As a coach that has played many finals, I have to say that if my players want to win, they must play hard, physically and mentally, and perform in the same way they did throughout the season. Even when I am back in Vitoria, it is not time to be emotional, but to work hard. I like that we are playing the Eurocup Finals in Vitoria. We are bringing a lot of fans from Valencia that will come here to support us. I think we were not the strongest team at the very beginning of the season but have become strong by working hard and winning games. We are the youngest team in Vitoria but also the team with the best winning record. That doesn't guarantee anything, so we will leave it to the media to say which team is the favorite. We have a lot of respect for Panellinios and are going step by step. We want to play a good game, forget about who is considered the favorite and fight for a new Eurocup win from the very first minute."

Power Electronics Valencia forward Victor Claver:

"Good morning everybody. I think that if we managed to make it to the Eurocup Finals, it is because we have deserved it all season long, and also because we have worked really hard as a team. We haven't depended on any particular player from the very beginning of the season. Every player can give his best and step up at any given time. This is what brought us here and I hope it can help us to win, too. It wasn't easy, but we know we are going to have two very tough days. You cannot relax if you want to win the competition. We have to play together, as a team, to reach our goal."

Alba Berlin head coach Luka Pavicevic:

"Good afternoon everyone. We have had several injuries in the last month. I think that is usual for a team that started to compete in September and has played two competitions for five or six straight months, two games a week without any break. We, however, have to focus on this game and not make this question the focus. Being here with these clubs, coaches and players in this table is a privilege and a motivation factor. In my opinion, we should only focus on the moment and try to see our chances in this tournament with or without certain difficulties that we have. We are still a team that went through a long Eurocup season and that will try to find the best way to play against such a strong opponent like Bizkaia Bilbao Basket in the semifinals. It would be a very inspirational supportive moment if our fans can be together with the team in such a moment, a do-or-die game like this. Alba Berlin bring the most fans in Europe to a given night, even considering Euroleague teams. We have great basketball events in Berlin. It would be very important to have 500 or 600 fans that prepared to come and give us support. Bilbao is just 40 minutes away from Vitoria and brings thousands of people. An accident like what happened in Iceland cannot be predicted. I hope that our 500 fans in Berlin find a different route to come to Vitoria and support our team."

Alba Berlin forward Immanuel McElroy:

"Last year it was a big motivation for us to play in the Euroleague and the Top 16, so to be in these Eurocup Finals is also a big motivation to get back. Hopefully we can go out there on Saturday and get started with a win. We don't feel bad about coming to play in Vitoria - where Alba lost big against Baskonia last season - because this is a totally different situation. This is the Eurocup Finals and we are prepared to come out, play and hopefully get a win."

Friday, April 16, 2010

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