Scariolo: “We are aware of the difficulty of the match against Valencia and we are motivated”
“The team has worked very well, and that is evident on the court; the trend is positive,” explained the coach.
Sergio Scariolo spoke to the media before the team's training session at the Roig Arena. The coach referred to the semifinal match against Valencia Basket (Saturday, 6:00 pm CEST; Dazn): “We are happy to be in the semifinals, but we are also aware that playing against Valencia Basket, in Valencia, is one of the toughest tasks for any European team. It is a team that plays very well, with a very well-defined identity and a great coach. There has been a couple of years of work building the team and the style they wanted to implement.”
“It is a very deep team, with great playmaking ability, a very high three-point shooting percentage, and also a great offensive rebounding capability. Obviously, with this coinciding situation—a great team and hosting the Copa del Rey at home in front of their fans—the feeling is of a unique opportunity to achieve something big. It will generate a lot of motivation, if it were even necessary. So, we are aware of the difficulty of the task and are motivated to face it.”
Previous encounters this season
“They have been three matches, all different, and surely this one will be as well. Against Valencia Basket, you always have to attack in a balanced way so that they don’t run too much, be solid on the perimeter so they don’t have too many open shots, and secure the rebound well because they are very good at that.”
Is the ideal Real Madrid you envision closer now?
“A team that theoretically works every day, every week, is closer to that ideal, which doesn’t exist because many things can get in the way, like injuries, dips in form, etc. We have to understand that this is not linear growth, but the trend is upward. The team has worked very well, and that is evident on the court. We have certain trends, strengths, weaknesses, and we need to enhance the former and mask the latter. But the trend is positive, and surely we still need to take steps forward. We are in February, let’s not forget that either.”
Disclaimer: Translation generated by artificial intelligence. It may contain inaccuracies.