Bartzokas: «Congratulations to the players, the fans, the staff»
Olympiacos' coach, Giorgos Barztokas, following the win that secured qualification to the Abu Dhabi talked about the particulars of the game against Real and thanks the team Presidents Panagiotis and Giorgos Angelopoulos, the fans, the staff and his players for the success.
Our team's coach initially stated: “It was a game full of intensity and physicality. And it was exactly the kind of game we expected. Real Madrid always plays with pride and, as I said before the game, they have talent, they have great experience. For us, it was very, very important to control our emotions. I think we were under immense pressure because we finished first in the regular season standings, and we had the misfortune of facing the team that Željko Obradović called the favorite to win the Euroleague. So, it wasn’t easy. And I completely agree with that, because every time you play against a team with that much ‘know-how’ , that knows how to win titles, it’s significant when you come out on top. That’s why we were under pressure at the end.”
He added: “I believe we had a 15-point lead, and in the end, the game came down to one decision, one shot. Everything was going against us in the final moments, and I’m very happy that we didn’t pay for it. I would like to congratulate the club’s ownership for putting together such a great roster this year. I also want to thank our fans who support us everywhere we play across Europe, and of course in Piraeus. And naturally, I want to thank the players and my coaching staff.”
Alec Peters also commented: “I think this series really embodies what the Euroleague is all about. You know, it’s a great atmosphere, great basketball, and unpredictable things happening throughout the games. I think this series had almost everything; except for a fifth game. But we’re really happy that we managed to qualify in four games. After the last two years where we had to go to a Game 5 and face that do-or-die situation, I think I speak for all my teammates when I say I’m really happy we finished it in four. Real made it really tough. We knew it wouldn’t be easy. But the resilience this team showed really came through, especially in today’s game.”