Chus Mateo: “We want to write another beautiful chapter in the club's history”
“Real Madrid and Olympiacos have two very different styles but we're both champion teams," underlined the coach.
Chus Mateo spoke to the media in the press room at the Real Madrid City sports hall, where he assessed the EuroLeague semi-final matchup with Olympiacos: “The pressure comes from ourselves. We know that winning the EuroLeague is really tough but we have a chance, just like the other three teams. We're not thinking about anything other than the semi-final, which is the one that puts you in a position to fight for the title. We'll do all we can to come past Olympiacos and we want to write another beautiful chapter in the club's history."
“The two teams approach the game in a similar way. They're warriors, they fight for every ball and never give up. They're so solid. We have a different style, our trademark way of playing. Campazzo has brought that extra ferocity, hunger - we had it already but he's pushed our will to win even further. There are two very different styles but we're both champion teams. Every team left in it has won this tournament, it's really the top level."
Olympiacos
“They are so strong on defense. They give you very few possessions and no space in offense. We like to play a fluid, vibrant game and they won't want us to get into our flow. Their greatest strength is defensive solidity and slowing the game down so their opponent can't gain any advantage. They're an extraordinary club, champions. Clubs are made by the people within them and they are loaded with good people. Bartzokas is the soul of the team and a true leader. He's someone I really look up to and a real gentleman on court. He's really left his mark on the club. They are never out of a game even if they're trailing."
“We won't post 100 points against Olympiacos and we'll have to fight for every ball. Defense will be key if we're to win the competition and that's what has brought us this far. Defense, the rebound and offense, of course, will be important points. Olympiacos has great players on the inside and they compete in there because they have such strength. It's nothing we don't know about them, they have players who create a lot. They have their weapons and we have ours."
Winning the Champions League and the EuroLeague
“It speaks volumes about our club, we're hungry to keep winning things. We never stop being ambitious. It happened in 2018 and it was incredible. We're the only club to have achieved it and I hope we can do it again. It says a lot about the Real Madrid DNA. Ancelotti is the best coach Real Madrid could have. How he manages the dressing room and his ability to respond to problems is remarkable. We get on really well and I wish them all the best.”
“Going for two consecutive EuroLeague wins is not easy. We're the only team in with a chance of doing it and that reflects well on the work done over the last couple of years. That challenge will help us to leave it all out on court .We've won two in a row in the past and we want to repeat the feat. I just focus on the work we're doing day to day. There is a lot of noise outside but we just keep working hard. I'm happy with the job we've done so far."
Poirier and Tavares
“They have an extraordinary relationship. Not just on a personal level, but in a sporting sense too. They help each other out and are so happy for each other when things go well. There is a sense of competition because they want to do things right. They both get their space and they've made the most of it well. Poirier has made the difference in so many games and we already know all about Tavares: he's hugely decisive for us and the opposition. I'm thrilled with them and I'm so happy for both of them. I hope they have a great Final Four and they can take us to the top."
The experience of winning a EuroLeague
“As a coach, winning the EuroLeague gives you a degree of certainty and greater confidence. It's another year of experiences that help to mould you as a coach and see what's possible and what may not be. On a personal level I haven't changed a bit. I hope to be at my lifelong club for as long as possible but I know life is about more than just basketball."