Bartzokas: «I'm grateful for our fans» (vid)

In the press conference that followed the Euroleague Final Four 3rd-place game, Olympiacos head coach Giorgos Bartzokas thanked the fans for their support and his players for their effort.

In his opening remarks, he stated: "Winning is obviously better than losing. Of course, we're talking about a game that, frankly, nobody really wanted to play. But the rivalry between the two teams adds a unique element to it. It was an offensively driven game; neither team was really focused on playing tough defense. I was told we set a record for assists in the first half. We finished the game with 34 assists overall.

I want to say that I’m truly grateful to the fans who supported us once again, even today. I don’t know if the 40 minutes we played against Monaco define our entire season or our efforts, but I have to tell everyone -especially the players - that I’m thankful. They put in a very serious effort throughout the season and in the playoffs. We lost the semifinal; that’s basketball.

Being in the Final Four four times, some might say it means nothing if you don’t win a title. But anyone who’s made it to the Final Four even once knows how difficult that journey is.”