Chus Mateo: "We had no other option but to win at home, and that's what we did"

Chus Mateo gave his thoughts on Real Madrid's win against Alba Berlin in Euroleague round 11. After the game at the WiZink Center, the coach said, "I'm happy because we've won another game. We need to keep going. We've only played 11 games, so we need to keep on winning. This was a crucial home game, and we came out on top."

"Rathan Mayes is playing with a lot more confidence, he understands more and more what is expected of him in both offence and defence. He's putting in a lot of intensity, he's competitive. Little by little, the process of adapting to the team and the club is going in the right direction. It's a process and we have to continue. There will be good games in which he plays better and others in which he doesn't. He's doing what is required of him." 

Abalde
"He's playing at a very good level on both sides of the court, with a lot of confidence, he feels strong, he's more experienced now than when he arrived, and he knows Real Madrid better. I'm delighted that he is gaining this confidence because we need everyone. He has earned the respect of his teammates, his coach and 99% of the fans. It's impossible to think that he can do better than he is doing now; he's been putting in some very good games".

El Clásico
"The next game is a great opportunity for us. Playing at the Palau is never easy. It's good for us to have this kind of challenge ahead of us to see how well we can cope with it at the moment. Let's hope we don't lose focus after these three days. Some of the team are away with their national teams, while others, including me, are taking a short break to switch off a little and start thinking about Thursday with more patience."