Chus Mateo: “We want to play a good game in Tenerife and stay in first place”
“The important part of the championship is coming and there are games that are crucial,” he said before the league matchday 27 clash.
Chus Mateo spoke to Realmadrid TV the day before the match on league matchday 27, in which Real Madrid visit La Laguna Tenerife (Sunday, 1pm CEST). The coach said: “It will be a big game, like all the others we have been playing for the last two months. Tenerife is a great team and has shown over and over this year, when allowed, their good play, their experience, their competitive capacity and that they have resources. It's a pleasure to see how they play in sync. We will have to fight hard to win.”
The calendar
"We’re not going to look at anything else that could distract us, but there’s no doubt that we also have an important game against Paris on Tuesday. We need to keep it in our minds, regardless of the fact that we want to play a good game in Tenerife and continue to hold on to first place in the league. We are playing for our lives on Tuesday, but the calendar is what it is, and we have to face it as it comes”.
How is the team?
“Trying not to lower the competitive mentality. Even with the tough schedule, we have 6 wins in a row in the Euroleague and 14 in the League. That says a lot about the level of play we are showing, but we mustn't get distracted. We know that the important part of the championship comes now and there are games that are decisive”.
Paris Basketball, opponent in the Euroleague Play-In
"All Euroleague teams have shown a similar level and a tremendous competitive capacity. If you look at the standings and the teams that have missed out, you realize how wild this competition is. We didn't get into the play-offs because of mathematics and three-pointer ties, but we don't have to think about that anymore, only about the road we have left to become champions.”