All eyes in London turned toward Thursday’s Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final Four semifinals with the Opener Press Conference in the heart of London. The City Hall hosted the event from the Chamber, with a breathtaking view of the Thames framing the coaches and players of CSKA Moscow, FC Barcelona Regal, Olympiacos Piraeus and Real Madrid. Shining bright in the center of the room was the very trophy all are fighting for, a definite reminder of what’s at stake in the few remaining games this season. Joining the players and coaches at the Opening press conference were Euroleague Basketball President and CEO Jordi Bertomeu and Turkish Airlines President and CEO, Dr. Temel Kotil.
CSKA Moscow head coach, Ettore Messina
“It’s surely a great feeling to be here. The Final Four and Euroleague Top 16 are second only to the NBA playoff in terms of intensity, drama and interest to the fans. I am grateful to CSKA and my players for the opportunity to be here again."
“I hope all the bad luck went to CSKA last year and this year we just get a little bit of good luck."
“The first time I signed for CSKA in 2005, I arrived in a similar situation. The club had just lost in the Final Four in Moscow. Both times I came after disappointments. I was not completely aware of the pain the club had suffered, I could just imagine. So my concern all year long was not to think about the game and just to look ahead. Now, even now. It’s not the right thing to think about last year. We need to show that we are mature, we are looking ahead and we will see on the floor tomorrow.”
CSKA Moscow center Nenad Krstic
“What did I learn last year? I learned how to lose a game on a last-second shot. For my team and for myself it is just a bad memory, but I can say also I learned how to prepare myself physically and mentally. Because this is such a unique event, you play two games in three days, and you have to be mentally and physically prepared. I think we are ready, we had enough time."
“I have never been in this kind of situation that I lost the finals, and then I am coming back again and playing the same team. Definitely, just playing the Final Four you feel lots of pressure, so I don’t know if is extra pressure, but it is a lot of pressure. And definitely when you play for such a great team like CSKA, you always try to win. That’s the main goal, and you always feel pressure.”
Olympiacos Piraeus head coach Georgios Bartzokas
“Without a doubt this is my biggest challenge so far. When I decided to become the coach of this team, I knew it would be a difficult task. This is a crowning moment for my team, which has been to four Final Fours in the last five years. This year we have many Greek players. Last year we won, and as Vassilis Spanoulis said, this is the most difficult season. It’s very difficult to defend the title. This has been the most competitive Euroleague season of all time with very strong teams. We are very satisfied that we are here and we search for new challenges."
“We’ll try to make use of all our talent and fighting spirit. Till the end we’ll fight to win. We’ll of course try to express the talent of our players. In my opinion, it always exists. We have survived many tough games. From here we want to become a better team than what we were when we came here."
“I am very proud to be here. We have the Rising Star and the MVP. This happened and these awards are given because of our team play and our team spirit. Our fighting spirit and motivation is great and that is the best recipe to be successful at this level. “
Olympiacos Piraeus guard Vassilis Spanoulis
“For us and for every team, when you win the trophy, the next year is the most difficult. That we are here again is a big thing for us. We proved that we didn’t win last year by luck. We proved we are a very good team that can achieve a lot of things."
“It will be completely different from last year’s final. Both teams have changed philosophies, have different coaches and some players are different. For me personally it’s another great chance for our team. We don’t need any extra motivation. Being at a huge competition like the Final Four is enough."
“This year was very difficult until we qualified to be here. We had some difficult nights and had our backs to the wall. We did what we needed to do and came forward to something new. This is a festival of basketball and I’ll do what I can to help my team. “What happened to Nikos Gallis should have been done many years ago, but better late than never. He is the reason we play; for me the reason why I love this sport. We are grateful to him for what he gave to us. I was very lucky to see it from close up, even though I am not so old. Also for Giannakis, Fassoulas and Christodoulou. We are talking about great players and they deserve every honor.”
FC Barcelona Regal head coach Xavi Pascual
"It is very difficult for there to be tactical surprises, we have obviously faced each other many times. We know each other very well and have prepared the games. Both teams will look for their own way to win the game. More than surprises, I expect a great show for all basketball fans. A Clasico in a Final Four environment is something truly special and that is the way we will experience it. We will try to make sure everyone that can watch the game enjoys it."
"We are in the same situation as my last press conference in Barcelona. Pete Mickeal is out for the season and Nate Jawai will most probable not play, even though we will try to test his availability until the final minute. Everyone should play almost for sure even though Marko Todorovic and C.J. Wallace have physical problems. This is the Final Four, you work hard for this all season and we will give everything we have beyond physical problems."
FC Barcelona Regal guard Juan Carlos Navarro
"I am not as nervous as in my first appearance, but every Final Four is special, you always have some sort of excitement. It is my seventh Final Four, but you have more responsibilities every year to do well. It is a new challenge to get a title that you work for all season."
"I never played in the NBA playoffs or in an event of this magnitude. This is my seventh Final Four and you fight for this all season. We play a Clasico in this Final Four, which is also special. We also have a rematch of last season's final. We cannot ask for more and I hope everything goes well."
"Unfortunately, I could not follow Nikos Galis as much as I would have liked to. He was an incredible player, a great scorer, but I think Vassilis [Spanoulis] will know him better, so let him speak more about him!"
Real Madrid head coach Pablo Laso
"It is different to be back as a coach, it has been a long time [since 1996] and we all have changed a lot, but it is a coincidence to be here as a player and now be back to compete as head coach. Few things are similar, basketball has changed a lot over the years, but I still have that desire and cannot wait for the competition to arrive. That semifinal was close, tough, decided by a few points in which Madrid lost. I hope that we will be able to beat Barcelona, knowing that we face a great team and that the four best teams in Europe will compete against each this weekend!
"Other than the well-known injury to Marty Pocius, we will be ready to face the best FC Barcelona Regal possible. I don't understand that Barcelona does not put out a great team – all of their players are with their national teams and play great games. If are we win tomorrow, we will have to play really, really well."
Real Madrid guard Rudy Fernandez
"For us, this is a great opportunity. Real Madrid is a club that has won a lot of European titles. Up to this point, it is the first time that I experience a Final Four. Having the chance to win it is very beautiful, an experience we will never forget. It has been a long road to get to this point. We have to take it against CSKA Moscow, FC Barcelona Regal and Olympiacos Piraeus, which are very experienced at this level. We will work hard and try to lift this beautiful trophy."
"This is a great chance and like I said, it is the first time that I am at a Final Four. Real Madrid comes here with great expectations and like Coach Pascual just said, for Spanish basketball fans it is beautiful to experience a Clasico in a Final Four. Two great teams will play the other finals, all four teams are candidates to win after a great season, they are all able to lift the trophy. We hope it is Madrid; we have excitement and confidence."
"Football is put aside in this moment; we have to talk about basketball. The games this weekend will be experienced at the international level because there is a lot of talent on the floor. It is a Clasico, like I said before, and everyone likes to watch and of course, play these games. It is true that I have great motivation not only to play against a great opponent, but also such an experienced player like Juan Carlos Navarro. We will try to plan the best game possible to try to win it. We know that Barcelona is really experienced in this kind of game, Juan Carlos is in his seventh Final Four. It goes down to one game and anything can happen. We will give everything we have on the floor to win the semifinal."