MADRID, 21 May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
The Real Madrid basketball coach, Chus Mateo, made it clear this Tuesday that “the pressure” in the ‘Final Four’ of the Euroleague is what they put on themselves, although he is excited about the possibility of “writing a very nice page in the history of the club” if they manage to repeat last year’s triumph, which involves firstly beating an Olympiacos team in the semi-final that is “absolutely insurmountable in defense” and with a coach, Georgios Bartzokas, who is their “soul and leader “.
“The pressure is what we put on ourselves. Winning a Euroleague is very difficult, but we have the same options as the other three teams. We like to focus on the opponent we are going to have in the semifinals and not think beyond because that match is absolutely key,” said Chus Mateo at a press conference during the ‘Media Day’ organized by the Madrid club for the ‘F4’.
The Madrid coach recalled that when he took over the team “you might have thought that it was going to be a pipe dream to compete for two Euroleague titles.” “And now we have that option, we are going to do everything possible to defeat Olympiacos and see if we are capable of writing a very nice page in the history of the club,” he warned.
In this sense, he clarified the ‘chimera’, ensuring that it was not related to his figure, criticized at first, but because “it is not easy to qualify for two Euroleagues in a row.” “For any coach, not because it was me. That says about the work we have done these two years. There was a lot of noise around the environment at some point, but we continue working and that will not be lacking because they slap us or criticize us,” he pointed out. .
Mateo insisted that “the challenge” of being able to reissue the title, which the club has not achieved since 1968, will be a plus and will make them move “faster” on the court against an Olympiacos team for which he was full of praise. “We are two teams that, although there have been changes, we have the same style. They have an undeniable imprint of a brave team, that never gives up, that has the character of a gladiator and this has been demonstrated in the ‘Playoff’. We have a different style, but also with our seal. Both clubs have something in common, they are champion teams,” he explained.
“Olympiacos is an absolutely unbreakable team in defense, it takes the games to a few possessions, it does not allow offensive licenses and we like to play fluid and happy, with more possessions and they will surely want us not to display our virtues. If there is one thing they have, it is that solidity defense, making the game slow down in such a way and difficulty so that we can find advantages with our game. They never give up, when you go up you can’t trust them because they come back,” added the Madrid coach.
For him, the Greek team is “a brilliant club throughout history and made up of good people who have given it personality” as is the case of its coach, Georgios Bartzokas. “He is the soul of the team, an absolute leader who has given the imprint and personality to this club. He is a mirror in which to look at myself and he also seems like a gentleman on the court,” he stressed.
“WE WANT TO DO SOMETHING BIG”
Mateo does not hide that his rival has “players to give and take” in the ‘paint’ and that he competes with them “very well” in those positions. “Milutinov has come back from an injury, but he has had a great ‘Playoff’ and is a great finisher, Wright gave them a lot of energy when they had injuries and Fall is a great player and a great passer,” he cited among others, without forgetting Alec Peters or Luke Sikma.
The Real Madrid coach will focus on giving “naturalness to what a basketball game is.” “And if it is possible to make one or two efforts, make three or a quarter because our lives depend on it. We want to do something great and we are going to fight tooth and nail for it, and that starts in the semifinal, it goes through Olympiacos,” he reiterated.
Regarding his figure, the Madrid native acknowledged that repeating ‘Final Four’ gives him “a certain security and greater confidence as a coach.” “They are experiences that shape us as a coach and what is possible and what in this club, in the game or in the championships, but on a personal level nothing has changed. I hope I am here for a long time, but I know that I came one day and I will leave another, life is more than basketball,” he confessed.
On an individual level, he spoke of Facundo Campazzo who has given the team “an extra ferocity and hunger.” “He has increased this team’s desire to win and has helped us better understand the roles that at times made us hesitate last year when it came to combining everyone to find the formula,” he indicated.
“Poirier and Tavares have an extraordinary relationship between them, they help each other in training and are happy when the other’s game goes well. There is a competition to do well, but they both have their space and have known how to take advantage of it. Poirier’s year “He is extraordinary, he has been a differential factor in many moments and he arrives at a very good moment, and ‘Edy’ is absolutely decisive for us and the opponent. I hope they have a good Final Four,” he said of his two centers.
He also wanted to clarify “certain things” about the defense after having conceded many points in the last games, such as in a “deceptive eliminatory” like the one against Baskonia, “a very high-scoring team.” “In Olympiacos we are not going to reach 100 points and we will have to fight for every ball, but sometimes the games go in one direction or another. Defense is key, it has brought us here and it will be present if we want to win, like rebounding and attacking,” he warned.
Finally, Chus Mateo expressed his hope that there will be a double for the club in the European Cup if they win in Berlin and the football team does so on June 1 in London, something that already happened in 2018. “It says a lot about our club “We don’t stop being ambitious and hungry for titles. It was an extraordinary moment in 2018 and I wish we could repeat it. I don’t know if one team feeds the other for this club, but it says a lot about its DNA,” said the Madrid coach. He praised Carlo Anceltoti, “the best coach this Real Madrid could have” and whom “it is wonderful to see direct.”