Chus Mateo: “It'll be a tough game but we'll give it our best to win and make the final”
“We can do something great, winning two consecutive titles,” said Tavares at the presentation ahead of the Final Four.
Chus Mateo and Tavares were the Real Madrid representatives at the presentation ahead of the Final Four in Berlin at the Uber Arena. The coach discussed the semi-final that pits our team against Olympiacos (“We can do something big, winning two consecutive titles,” said Tavares at the presentation ahead of the Final Four (Friday, 9:00pm CEST): “We're thrilled to be in another Final Four. Are we favourites? No. It's a nice word but we don't feel that in the locker room. We don't talk about it because that's something for the fans. The important thing is to understand how we can win the Final Four and respect our opponents.”
“We're up against opposition who we really respect on Friday in Olympiacos. They play with real heart and have a superb coach. It will be a really tough game but we're focused and we'll give it our best to win and make the final. We're going to try and lift another trophy. This is a new tournament, a new competition. La Undécima is ours and now we have only one game ahead, that's all we're thinking about."
This year's performance
“We're not thinking about the past and who finished top in the Regular Season. We're here to win. Nothing about what happened in the past will have an impact on the rest of the Final Four. We're only thinking about one game. We have loads of players with plenty of Final Four experience and we know you can't afford to underestimate anyone. You have to fight for everything if you want to win the title like we did last year."
On Rudy
“He's really motivated because this will be his last EuroLeague. We know he's leaving professional basketball following the summer and we'll try and give him a last trophy. That's one of the reasons we'll fight to win it. For him and for Deck, who misses out through injury. They are an added couple of reasons to want the title."
Praise for Tavares
“He conditions the opponent's game and the way we play as well. We've learned to play with him. He's the best center in Europe, he's the most decisive. He's a key part of our squad and we're lucky enough to have Poirier in the same position, he's another key man for us. So much of our game runs through Tavares, both in offense and defense. On a human level, he's an extraordinary guy."
Tavares: “Experience is one of our biggest assets”
“Experience is one of our biggest assets. We have players who can lead us through tough times and we'll try to win it. That's why we're here year after year and it's another opportunity to get our hands on a trophy."
Motivation
“We've got two games left to be crowned champions and we can do something great if we manage to retain the title. We've got that motivation to keep making history and to push as high as we can. Chus Mateo fills us with such confidence, he lets us play and enjoy our game, and he always adds his knowledge as a coach."
Second EuroLeague in a row
“We have to focus on the future, the rest is in the past. We're going to try and do all we can to win it. If there's any team capable of it, that team is Real Madrid."
Winning it for Rudy
“It's one of our motivations. As a fan, he's one of my favourite players for all that he does both on court and off it. It's one of our greatest motivations, to help him retire having won this EuroLeague and I'll do all I can to make it happen."