Bartzokas: «We are unjustifiably nervous right now» (vid)

In the post-game press conference after the game against Monaco, Olympiacos' coach, Giorgos Bartzokas, addressed the reasons for the defeat.

In his initial statement, he said: "Unfortunately for us, it was a very strange night that gave us the result we deserved. When you have 4/20 three-pointers and miss 14 free throws in such a close game, it’s almost impossible to win. We need to reset, and of course, the injured players need to return because we are presenting lineups that haven’t played together or haven’t played together much. Congratulations to Monaco, and now we look ahead to the next game."

Asked about the missed free throws and whether it’s a matter of mental focus, he emphasized: "This has never been explained in basketball history. We came from two defeats and wanted a win tonight, maybe that added pressure. When we led by 9 points and could have opened up the game, we missed easy attacks and made bad decisions. Things in basketball are simple; when you keep missing free throws and the opponent scores, the player who missed the free throws becomes more hesitant. We have an unjustified nervousness right now."

Regarding what is within or outside expectations and whether there is a reason for concern, he said: "Everything is within expectations. Partizan lost by 15 points to Bayern. Obradovic or Messina wouldn’t be worried either, just because they are trying to stay out? What happens in basketball starts to slip from the hands of the coach. The team doesn’t have time to prepare, calm down, or train, it’s in a whirlwind of games it can’t control. I don’t know if the fans should be worried, we’re definitely third. Going into introspection might be understandable, but I don’t think it’s logical or fair to the players."

THE FULL PRESS CONFERENCE IN THE VIDEO THAT FOLLOWS