- Title: BASKETBALL-EUROLEAGUE/PRESENTATION Euroleague teams look ahead to the Final Four
- Date: 14th May 2015
- Summary: MADRID, SPAIN (MAY 14, 2015) (REUTERS) ***WARNING CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** EUROLEAGUE FINAL FOUR PRESENTATION THEO PAPALOUKAS PRESENTS OLYMPIACOS POWER FORWARD BRYANT DUNSTAN WITH EUROLEAGUE BEST DEFENDER AWARD EUROLEAGUE RISING STAR AWARD PRESENTED TO FENERBAHCE SHOOTING GUARD BOGDAN BOGDANOVIC EUROLEAGUE IDEAL FIVE AWARD PRESENTED TO OLYMPIACOS GUARD VASSILIS SPANOU
- Embargoed: 29th May 2015 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Spain
- Country: Spain
- Topics: General
- Reuters ID: LVA2IS6K7707BPKC3THCW4WXI53V
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The teams playing the Euroleague Final Four in Madrid were presented at an event in the Spanish capital on Thursday (May 14).
European basketball's premier club event handed out awards to the stars of the regular season and the qualification rounds with Fenerbahce forward Nemanja Bjelica collecting the tournament MVP.
The first semi-final between CSKA Moscow and Olympiacos is to be played on Friday (May 15) and pitches two Greek coaches against each other, with the Russian giants the favourites going into the game.
CSKA coach Dimitris Itoudis said:
"I would like to mention that we are proud, me personal and all the members of the club that CSKA's again and present in a Final Four, that will be the 12th in 13 years, that's a big achievement for such an organisation, so that's great for my president and my vice president and for the whole club, now the reason talks, but the history doesn't play basketball."
Olympiacos are competing in their third Final Four in four years, after winning the 2012 and 2013 editions. Their coach Giannis Sfairopoulos said:
"It's a big challenge for us because no matter what happened in the history we focus to this game separately. For sure we have some players that participated in the past, these games in Istanbul (2012) and in London (2013). Their experience will help us but every game is different and tomorrow we have a big chance in front of us, and in your life these chances are not coming a lot."
Real Madrid have the advantage of playing in front of their own fans, but have the added burden of trying to lift spirits at the club after their soccer team were surprisingly knocked out of the Champions League semi-finals by Juventus on Wednesday (May 13). The Whites will be hoping it is third time lucky after losing in the Euroleague final the last two seasons.
Madrid captain Felipe Reyes said:
"The elimination yesterday is a big blow to Madrid fans, but we already had pressure on us for the simple fact that we are playing the Final Four here in Madrid, everyone is calling for us to win it, we are at home, we have lost in the final the last two seasons and we were already under pressure."
On Friday, Real Madrid play Final Four debutants Fenerbahce, who are coached by the Euroleague's most successful trainer Veljko Obradovic. The Serbian has won the title eight times with four different clubs, and was the last person to guide Real Madrid to victory in the competition back in 1995.
Obradovic made light of taking on a former player of his, Madrid coach Pablo Laso.
"After this ceremony today I will have a big problem. Because this guy (Bjelica) is MVP and I already prepared the game to start without him. So now I must think about this, what to do, who knows. Everybody will say this coach is crazy, he has MVP player and he starts without him, so this is, I will spend the time now, thinking how to surprise somehow Mr Pablo Laso," he said. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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