Left behind in the race for the playoffs (13th), the Spanish giant with eleven C1 titles (record) has had the worst start to the season in its history on the European scene with a record of 6 victories and 9 defeats.
That’s two more than during the entire last regular season, finishing in first place before losing in the final, a year after winning their 11th crown.
Neither the personal exploits of the Argentinian Facundo Campazzo, nor the bell shots of the eternal Sergio Llul, 37 years old, nor the arrivals of the veteran Serge Ibaka and the former Golden State Warriors interior Usman Garuba have for the moment allowed to compensate for the departure of Yabusele (who left to try his luck in the NBA in Philadelphia), Poirier (Efes Istanbul), Causeur (Milan) and Rudy Fernandez (retired).
“Guerschon made no mistakes”
“Yes, they have more trouble collectively. Frankly, there is no photo, you see a big difference. Guerschon, he made no mistakes, he was always there to help” explained the French leader of Zalgiris Kaunas Sylvain Francisco, who left as winner of Madrid on December 12 (93-82).
He also emphasizes that the departure of Yabusele forced Marion Hezonja to be moved from the winger position to that of power forward, where “he has a lot more difficulty”, while “Poirier brought back a lot of energy, most of it At the time he won easy points.”
Second in the Spanish championship behind Valencia, the Madrid club is often incapable of providing a collective response to the problems posed to it.
“Adrift”
“It’s unbearable, there is no player who scores three points, we don’t have a second five… This team is adrift! », exclaims Fernando, a 37-year-old Merengue supporter, interviewed after the defeat against Zalgiris Kaunas.
Like a large majority of the Spanish club’s followers, he points to “an obvious lack of talent” in an aging workforce and “insufficient” recruitment to remain competitive in the championship and the Euroleague.
Merengue coach Chus Mateo believes his team “needs time” to adapt after their summer losses and calls on his players to “take nothing for granted”.
“We must get up again”
“Today, the road to the playoffs is tough. (…) We are aware of the calendar, the injuries, the changes in the squad. We must not make excuses, and if we fall, we must get up again,” he added, “delighted” with the team he has and no longer wanting to “think about the past”.
The immediate future takes Real to challenge two teams from the French championship occupying the first two places in the Euroleague, Paris and Monaco.
Before perhaps trying some moves this winter to strengthen themselves… and avoid missing the Euroleague playoffs for the first time since the 2011/2012 season.
Senegal
