Monaco, defeated twice last week in Barcelona, is sentenced to beat the Catalans, this Tuesday, in the final match of the quarterfinals.
Monaco, defeated twice last week in Barcelona, is scheduled to beat the Catalans on Tuesday in the fifth and final match of the quarterfinals of the Euroligue to reach its objective: the Final Four of Abu Dhabi on May 23.
“I always repeat that the most important is the regularity of the results. But there, these are our fourth consecutive play-offs (After Olympiakos, Tel Aviv, Fenerbahçe, editor’s note), for So many matches 5. I would have preferred that it happens differently ”says Oleksiy Yefimov, the Monegasque Managing Director.
Architect of the current team, he may smile with this final confrontation against Barcelona, on the evening of the second consecutive defeat in Catalonia (79-72, after 100-89) on Friday, but he was very upset.
Two wasted match balls
Because Monaco had wasted two match balls. “We mostly missed our luck in the fourth, retains the Vassilis Spanoulis coach. We did not correctly execute our plans and we missed crucial shots when we were in front. ”
La Roca Team will play in its Gaston-Médecin room, as in the last two seasons, with a qualification against Tel Aviv (2023), an elimination against Fenerbahçe (2024). “We fought 34 days for that and if, throughout my career, I am told: ” You will systematically play the fifth match, qualifier for the final oven at home ”, I take”Insiste spanoulis.
However, this match is crucial and the Russian-Hungarian millionaire president Aleksey Fedicsev was not mistaken. Even slightly suffering, he came on Monday, mask of respiratory protection on his face, see his players and his staff to signify how essential victory was for the development of the club.
-“You shouldn’t be afraid of losing. There is no pressure to have. It is a basketball match, with a plan to execute. »»
Monaco’s coach, Spanish Vassils
“There is pressure, it is certainsummarizes Yefimov. But we will be able to accommodate it. first, the majority of players lived the play-offs in the past years and know this tension. Daniel Theis also has experience. And then, Vassilis Spanoulis has always shown his best version in these matches when he was a player. He knows how to lead a team in these circumstances. ”
“You shouldn’t be afraid to lose, specifies the new Monegasque coach. There is no pressure to have. It is a basketball match, with a plan to execute. ” The two teams with a fairly close level, Spanoulis insists on the mental force that his players will have to keep.
“You should never stop fighting, always believe it,” he said. Whether you are ahead of the score or not, everything can happen. You should never change your attitude. This is how good things happen. ” Spanoulis therefore expects from Mike James and his family “A clear spirit” et “Lots of heart” to be given in the field, “To play our basketball”.
The level of the Captain of the Roca Team will also be scrutinized. In the first match (97-80), he was, with Theis, essential. The following meeting (92-79), they were Alpha Diallo and Mam Jaiteh, “Always with Terry Tarpey in X factor, and since the start of the series, Matthew Strazel very regular”insiste year. “So it’s a match for all Monaco, not only for Mike”asserts the Monegasque leader.
Confident in his men, Yefimov concludes: “The match will be won over the fight and our ability to control our emotions (…) qualify will be a great success, but no question of celebrating this. Because we then have a lot of other objectives. ”
