“We don’t depend on a single player even if he is the best in Europe, like Niko”
“In each Final Four I sleep better, experience gives it to me”
BARCELONA, 16 May. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Barça’s coach, Sarunas Jasikevicius, assured that his team must at least “match” the intensity and desire of Real Madrid in the semifinal match of the ‘Final Four’ of the Euroleague this Thursday in Belgrade (Serbia), since considers that whites are increasingly “hungry” against the Blaugrana.
“Each game is a story. Perhaps history is somewhat against us, Madrid always tries to surprise and do something new and they are increasingly hungry and we have to match that hunger they have. They are playing very well, moving the ball very well ball as a team. They are in their best form”, he warned at a press conference.
In a Clásico, in a ‘Final Four’, there is no place for relaxation but the Blaugrana coach sees his team well. “You have to be very focused, have ideas, we know the rival very well and we’ve played many games against them and it will be difficult to surprise. You have to do things well and above all not give away easy points, that’s the key”, he pointed out.
An argument based on many ‘Final Four’, as a player and as a coach. “I have no secrets. The secret is to have that experience and go through some ‘Final Fours’. I always say that in my first final I was nervous, without sleeping a week before. It will happen to someone and you have to go through it, it’s difficult to simulate it. You can talk about it, prepare them, but you have to go through this experience yourself. In each Final Four I sleep better, experience gives it to me. And that’s why we have an experienced team”, he celebrated.
Although the challenge is enormous, and the technician knows it. “It’s a ‘Final Four’, it has to be difficult and I’m sure it’s going to be very difficult. But we’re fine, it’s difficult to know if we’re at the best moment of the season but I think we’ve arrived well. We have people with experience to train and To recover. Too bad Kuric hasn’t been able to play the last few games, but he’s trained and I think he’s going to be fine,” he said about the state of his players.
“It’s the next ‘Clásico’ and it’s the most decisive. But it’s a Final Four match, it doesn’t matter if it’s a Clásico. Madrid has played, we don’t choose the rival. If we are favorites or not, what do they have for us?” What does it matter? We are 80 minutes from the title and you have to win the first to be eligible to win. It helps to have been together in another Final Four, we were in the final and close to it”, he commented in reference to the final lost last year against Anadolu Efes.
“We have shown these years that we do not depend on a single player, even if he is the best in Europe, like ‘Niko’. The people are working, and in the 40 minutes in Belgrade we are going to go with what works. We hope that Mirotic is at his side. better level, it’s important for us. But if he’s not, and he’s human, others have to go one step further”, he commented, taking the pressure off the Spanish-Montenegrin.
Finally, he reiterated that the pressure to win is in each house, not just his. “Madrid is also 80 minutes away from the title and they believe it, like all teams. They have the same pressure as us, they are very close. The pressure doesn’t change me because it’s a ‘Clásico’, it’s a new game and we are all aware of it,” he said.
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