February 10, 2012
Top 16 Draw Quotes
GROUP E QUOTES

Dusko Ivanovic, Tau Ceramica head coach

"I'm always happy with the results of a draw because it's what you get and nobody can change it, so complaining makes no sense here. I think that every team that made it to the Top 16 has made it because they deserved it, all of them are strong teams and all of them have chances to qualify. Before we start the competition, we all have the same opportunities and ambitions. If we take into account that Tau entered in the draw as a top seed and that Olympiacos did it as a second-level seed, someone could think that both should be considered as favorites, but I don't think that Armani Jeans Milano or Prokom will let us win without a big fight. Now a new tournament begins, with four very strong teams that have the same possibilities. It’s true that Prokom had two only wins, but they got what they need to become a surprise because they are very strong at home. I'd say the same about Armani Jeans Milano, they are a team that worked very hard to get in the Top 16 and now they have the opportunity to fight for bigger targets and that makes them very dangerous. And there is little we can say about Olympiacos that hasn't been said before. They are making a big effort to return to the top and they have built an incredibly powerful roster."

Igor Rakocevic, Tau Ceramica guard

"I think that our group is not the toughest group of them all. I think there are two teams that could be considered as non-favorites like Armani Jeans Milano and Prokom Sopot, while the other team is a team with a lot of stars and a big budget, Olympiacos. I believe in our chances, I think we are in a good position to make it to the next stage. I don’t find any reason to be upset after the draw’s result because I think we have winning chances against any team we could face in this stage, even in the playoff, if we are able to make it."

Jose Antonio Querejeta, Tau Ceramica president
 
"It is clearly not an easy group and we will have to prove ourselves on the court. All the teams are very experienced with a number of strong players and it will be down to how we confront each game. In this aspect, we have not made many mistakes this season. It will be important for us to continue like this if we want to proceed to the next round. It obviously won't be easy for us to play the Euroleague and the Spanish League contemporarily, with a number of games in succession, but we will do our best."

Panagiotis Giannakis, Olympiacos head coach

"We just learned the names of our future opponents, so we cannot open a discussion right now. The level is very high, no doubt. There are no weak teams, all of them are strong and respectable. Our priority is to improve our game and have a high standard. In that case, I believe that we have the talent and potential to beat every given opponent at home or away."

Nikola Vujcic, Olympiacos center

"Now the Euroleague starts, this is something that proves the meaning of the Top 16. We have to pay attention to all the games and not underestimate any team, not even Prokom which seems to be weak. My experience says that Top 16 is a matter of details. If we win all home games, then we will make an important step to make the play-offs. Tau is a very strong team which keeps its main players for years. AJ Milano deserves our respect, since they beat CSKA Moscow and Partizan earlier in the season. We cannot ignore Prokom, because despite their debilities they can cause damages."

Christos Stavropoulos, Olympiacos general manager

"According to the criteria, I was waiting for a draw like this. The only thing that I can say is that our target is to reach the Final Four and for this we must win all the games."

Piero Bucchi, Armani Jeans Milano head coach

"It is a very tough group, but was equally tough in the regular season and some even said it was impossible, but as we have demonstrated after starting 0-4, nothing is impossible. I repeat, we are aware that this is a difficult group with two teams whose final goal is to win the Euroleague with another one that in recent years has done well in Europe, but we are approaching this new adventure with great confidence in our abilities and our players are ready to play."

Mason Rocca, Armani Jeans Milano center

"It is certainly not an easy group, but these are the 16 best teams of Europe and it is hard to think something different. For me this is the first time in my career in the Top 16, and we are very happy to start this new adventure. It is an exciting challenge for a player to play with teams so important in Europe. It will be very good and we will be ready to offer the maximum in every game. To try to pass the round, of course, we must try to win home games as we did in the Euroleague regular season."

Lucio Zanca, GM Armani Jeans Milano

"Of course when you play the Top 16, you know the group will be difficult, and in our case even moreso with two teams aiming to become Euroleague champion, Tau and Olympiacos. And there is also Prokom, which improves every year. We are excited to be in the Top 16. We are not Milano from 1996, but we are excited and we will do the best we can do."

Vera Vakulenko, Jordi BertomeuVera Vakulenko, Asseco Prokom sporting director

"There is no surprise here. You cannot expect to face weak opponents in the Euroleague Top 16. First of all, we are very happy that we qualified to the Top 16. Our young team gained some valuable experience during the season and now it is important for us to keep going. The group is strong, as we face experienced teams with very good rosters and excellent coaches. Even with that, we are ready to fight to gain more experienced for the upcoming future. Everything starts again, all teams are 0-0 and this is just the beginning."


GROUP F QUOTES

Xavi Pascual, Regal FC Barcelona head coach

"I think it is a very tough group where all the teams will have their chances. Alba, who in theory is the weakest team in the group, has shown that playing without pressure it is a very difficult rival. Both Real Madrid and Maccabi Electra are Final Four candidates since the start of the season. I think we got one of the most complicated groups of the Top 16. Of all the chances we had in front of us for the Top 16, this is the most complicated but we have to face it with optimisim. We do it indeed, and I think that the rivals also have to be worried about playing against us. Maccabi has great players but they are still in search of continuity in their game. I am sure they will find it in the Top 16. They will be strong for this phase and they will be a team tough to beat both at home and in Tel Aviv. We will meet Real Madrid several times this season. We know each other well and this can be an advantage and disadvantage at the same time. The first game will be critical in order to face the Top 16."

Joan Creus - Regal FC BarcelonaJoan Creus, Regal FC Barcelona general manager

"We have been placed in a tough, complicated group, but we must accept the draw results. We have not had too much luck in the last couple of draws that we’ve had recently, but at the same time, it is fact that we entered the Top 16 with the best regular season record. That must give us hope to face the upcoming games, which of course will be quite complicated. From our point of view, we have Madrid, Maccabi and Alba, but our opponents will read the draw results in a different way, too. Maccabi must be seeing a group with Madrid and Barcelona and that is not easy."

Josep Cubells, Regal FC Barcelona basketball president

"I think that it is a tough draw. I think that objectively, it is the toughest draw. But for us, it is very attractive. We want to pass to the next stage and we have to beat these classic teams like Maccabi and Madrid and Alba Berlin also, because it plays at the arena that will have the Final Four this year. So it will be three very difficult matches."

Real Madrid head coach Joan Plaza

"There are no easy opponents in the draw, especially in the first three levels. Of course, Maccabi is a great-level team, but we could have also faced Panathinaikos or just any of the third-level teams. We know Barcelona very well and they are in great shape. Just a month ago they beat us easily in the Spanish League. We must have a strong start in this Top 16 group before the start of the Spanish King's Cup Final Eight. Alba Berlin already showed its power and downed DKV Joventut twice. It has shown it will try to surprise everybody. Generally speaking, there is always one team that we face several times, like Unicaja or Tau in the past and now Barcelona in both the Spanish League and the Euroleague Top 16. We have to accept it and reach every game in the best condition. We have to be ready to face Barcelona in Top 16 Week 1 and beat them. I believe that we have to use last year's experience. We reached the final date of the Top 16 as the group leaders and did not manage to make it to the playoffs. We must work hard, be solid at home, try to get tiebreakers and steal a road win. If that leads us to win the Top 16 group, much better, because it will come with the home-court advantage. The initial goal, however, is to advance to the playoffs."

Tomas Van den Spiegel, Real Madrid center

"We will face Barcelona in the Top 16 opener and the Spanish King's Cup quarterfinals, which of course is exciting. It is a tough group, but this is the Top 16 and it is always going to be difficult for any team. Everybody in this group has a chance to qualify and so do we. It will not be easy but we have a possibility and have to take it. Of course, I will have a special matchup with my former teammate David Andersen, who now plays in Barcelona. We already played against each other last season when I was in Prokom. We know each other very well, but of course we won't be friends on court. It is nice to go to Berlin and see the arena where the Final Four will be played. Everybody keeps talking about this arena and how it is even better than the one in London. If we want to go to the Final Four, we have to go to Berlin and beat Alba. If you want to be first in this group, you must win all three games at home and steal a road win. We will be ready for the first game against Barcelona. We expected to do well and be ambitious. We know what we are working for and it all starts today with the draw results."

Antonio Martin - Real MadridAntonio Martin, Real Madrid general manager

"Of course, the home games will be important, as well as trying to steal a road win, but even a 4-2 record sometimes cannot guarantee you a playoff spot, which says enough about how strong the Top 16 is. Even the home court advantage is not that important in this group, as surprises are expectable. It is a very competitive group and it will difficult to play against Barcelona, Maccabi and Alba. Facing Barcelona so many times, in a way, makes the superclassic less valuable. What made Barcelona against Madrid or Madrid against Barcelona so attractive is that they used to play small number of times during this season. At this rate, we are even going to play the Catalonian League (laughs). It is good for fans, but the teams know each other very well and adjustments are more precise. In you look at the other groups, however, there are powerful teams everywhere. We can't complain. We must now compete and fight, this is what we came here for."

Pini Gershon, Maccabi head coach

"It could have been a tougher or an easier draw, so the group we got is right in the middle. Nobody can say which two teams will qualify, and I'm more than hopeful we'll be among them. It's impossible to underestimate Barcelona after they crushed Panathinaikos and Montepaschi in the Regular Season. Real won in Moscow and finished second in a very tough group, so it's going to be anything but easy with them. Alba is a dangerous team from the fourth seed. They are hosting the Final Four and I know, from personal experience, that every team that hosts the big event gives more than usual to be there."

Omri Casspi, Maccabi forward

"It's a tough draw but we see it as a great challenge that will tell a lot about us as a team. If we qualify, we prove to be worth the spot among the greats of this season. We expect to make it. Barcelona is an excellent team that made big moves in the summer and got stronger at almost every position. They had the best record in the regular season, and it's not the same team we eliminated in the quarterfinals last year. We already lost there by a big margin last season and I hope it won't happen again, although it's very difficult. Real is also a tough competitor, and got better since we beat them twice in the Top 16 of last year. Alba is a team that all the other three will have to keep an eye on. In this group every team can beat the other, and we'll have to come 100% ready every night."

Marco Baldi, Shimon MizrahiShimon Mizrahi, Maccabi president

"I think it's a strong group with Barcelona, which has had a wonderful season and Real Madrid, which is good shape. I think it will be very hard, but we will do our best to reach first or second place. None of the groups are easy ones."

Luka Pavicevic, Alba Berlin head coach

"Being in the Top 16 of the Euroleague is a great opportunity to play the biggest names of European basketball and I think that's what we got in this draw. We have come to a position to play games against the biggest teams of professional European basketball. This was our goal and we competed hard to give our fans the opportunity to see us play against great teams like Barcelona, Real Madrid and Maccabi Tel Aviv. I think we deserved it and our fans deserved it and now we have to enjoy our time being with the best of the best."

Steffen Hamann, Alba Berlin guard

"Reaching the Top 16 for the first time alone for Alba was a big achievement and we knew, that from now on there would be no easy opponents for us. But our group with Real Madrid, Barcelona and Maccabi turned out especially tough. All three in my opinion have chances to reach the Final Four. Of course, we are the big outsider in this group, but maybe this even can help us to surprise one of the favorites, if they underestimate us. I hope, that at least at home we will be able to give Barcelona and Real as well as Maccabi a real challenge. The fans in Berlin already gave us a big support in the first round and I am sure, they will do so, too, in the Top 16 against these big opponents."

Marco Baldi, Alba Berlin president

"They are all superpowers. We have already made great achievements as clubs like Efes Pilsen and Zalgiris are out of the competition and we have left behind traditional clubs like Badalona and Olimpija Ljubljana behind us in our group. We are leading the Euroleague in attendance, so we have accomplished something already. But now of course looking at this, this is why we play in the Euroleague. We are playing against the crème de le crème of European basketball. We are happy with this draw. We are the 100% underdog, but we take this as a challenge and we are going to face it."


GROUP G QUOTES

Aíto Garcia Reneses, Unicaja head coach

"Any group that we would have played would have been difficult because the Top 16 only leaves room for the best. Lottomatica Roma is a good team that has lost only one home game in the regular season, Panathinaikos is one of the best in Europe, if not the best, and Partizan is a particularly difficult team at home"

Berni Rodriguez, Unicaja guard

"Any of the teams that could play us in this Top 16 would have been difficult opponents, but I think that the three teams we drew are difficult teams, as we already know from other seasons. Lottomatica is one of the best teams in Italy and Panathinaikos is a classic of European basketball, which in recent years has always had a very complete team and aims, not only to be in the Final Four, but to win it, and Partizan also has a lot of tradition and a very hot home court, as well as a team with talent and fierce desire to remain in the competition."

Juan Manuel Rodríguez, Unicaja sports director

"I think we have the toughest group with Roma, Panathinaikos and Partizan. I think Panathinaikos and Partizan were the strongest teams from each seed. Our objective is to be the strongest and to repeat our accomplishment form two years ago and to reach the Final Four again. We are very happy with our progress from the regular season. We had a nice record winning the last seven games and I think our coach is doing a great job."

Nando Gentile, Lottomatica Roma head coach

"The goal of reaching the Top 16 has been obtained. We have nothing to lose and everything to gain. It 's very difficult group and will be a real struggle, but we believe and will fight to the end, just as we did in the first part of season against the big teams like Tau, Joventut Badalona and Fenerbahce."

Sani Becirovic, Lottomatica Roma guard

"This is a very difficult group, with teams that I would not have wanted to meet: Malaga because it is the first seed and will do all to demonstrate his power, Partizan because of how difficult it is to play there, and Panathinaikos, my former team, against which I will have to manage my emotions. But we will all have to be able to win all our matches at home and make an extra effort away. It will not be easy."

Dejan Bodiroga - Lottomatica RomaDejan Bodiroga, Roma general manager

"It’s a very tough group. I think that we have in Malaga the best team from its group. And Panathinaikos is of the top level. And Partizan is the top surprise of the season and it’s always tough to play in Belgrade. We had a good regular season and we will do our best in the Top 16."

Zeljko Obradovic, Panathinaikos head coach

"There is no easy team or easy group in the Top 16, this is something that we have to underline first. To be honest and considering the way we play right now, all three teams, which are in our group have more chances to make it that we have! We are not in good shape, the momentum is bad and we have a tough road to walk. Unicaja Malaga is a team with quality and experience and they prove it both in the Euroleague and Spanish League. They have big defensive and offensive potential and they are the favorite to take first place in the standings. Roma played very well in the Euroleague so far and they are not en easy team to beat. Regarding Partizan, we have a bad experience from last season Tor-16, while their home court is always a problem. They missed Pekovic, Kecman and Palacio, but I watch their games and I know that they remain strong and dangerous."

Dimitris Diamantidis, Panathinaikos guard

"If you are in the Top 16, you can’t underestimate any team. All teams are strong and they can make you suffer to beat them. But right now I am thinking of my team: We are not playing good and we have to improve our game and cover our debilities. Then we can talk better...."

Manos Papadopoulos, Panathinaikos team manager

"All the groups are strong, there is no question about that. It happens every season. I believe that if we play the way we know that Panathinaikos can play, we will make it to the next round. We are facing good teams, which is not a surprise for us, of course. We will play Partizan again, just like in last year's Top 16. The good thing about this group is that we will see a lot of good friends in Lottomatica Roma and Partizan. Even Nando Gentile became Roma's head coach recently. It is good to see that. Like every season, we have to go step by step, but the ultimate goal is to win the Euroleague title. Still, it is very early to speak about this."

Dusko Vujosevic, Partizan head coach

"At first glance, Group H is the strongest one. But there are no weak teams in the Top 16. Our group in quality of teams is balanced, but it could have be some other name from the third hat than Panathinaikos. Everything is open in second phase. Partizan did a good job in the regular season I do hope we shall continue like so. And I hope the fans in Belgrade will see lot of great basketball."

Aleksandar Rasic, Partizan guard

"A day before the draw I said I hope for Unicaja, Lottomatica and Fenerbahce in our group. My wish came true 75 percent. But that 25 percent is even heavier because it is Panathinaikos. We already proved that we are able to fight for victory against any team in the competition including the strongest. I am not sure that we have said our last word this season."

Mladan Silobad, Partizan general manager

"I think that all the groups are the same level, so I cannot say that one group is the toughest. We played in the regular season very well. I think we will continue that way. We beat all the teams in our group, even though the group was very strong. So we can expect in the Top 16 to expect the same quality of playing. It is very important for our young players to play more games in the Euroleague, so they have a lot of experience, even though they are young players. Every year we play with a young players and we do our job very well."

GROUP H QUOTES

Andrey Vatutin, CSKA Moscow CEO

"In my opinion, the Top 16 is an absolutely new tournament. In the Top 16, we don't have any weak teams. Most important for sure is the home games. We will try for our supporters, for our fans. And I think it's a good group."

Ettore Messina, CSKA Moscow head coach

"Our group is tough as are all the groups. One more time for every team a lot will depend on schedule and result can be decided by a point difference. Of course we hope to show our best basketball and to qualify for the play-offs. As for the opponents, Siena is one of the most consistent teams in Euroleague recently. It plays strong defense and it is also one of the best offensive teams this season. Siena is dominating Italian league for the past three years and shows excellent basketball this season. Cibona grew up during the year. I think with all the additions they had recently they can be very competitive. Fenerbahce-Ulker is tall and powerful team which is very well organized thanks to coach Tanjevic. I think they are also very dangerous."

Matjaz Smodis, CSKA Moscow forward

"There are no easy opponents in the Top 16. If you want to win, you have to beat anybody at any time and that’s the only thing that has to happen. Siena is a very tough opponent and I think they will be one of the contenders for the title in the end. Fenerbahce Ulker is a young and talented team. They’ve played very well in the regular season. At home they can beat anybody. I think they will create problems for the other three teams and have good chances to qualify. Cibona has a couple of veterans on the roster, who have played for the big teams before. Like Fenerbahce, they are very dangerous at home. But as I said, if you want to be the champion, you have to beat everybody. So I am expecting very exciting and interesting Top 16 for us."

Simone Pianigiani, Montepaschi Siena head coach

"It's hard, but we are in the Top 16 and we knew that would happen. I find it unnecessary to dwell on CSKA, the team that has dominated Europe in the last two years, or the difficulties to play in courts like Zagreb and Istanbul. I say that if on one side CSKA was the team to avoid, on the other you have the opportunity to experience evenings of the greatest basketball. We don't have too many problems, because we want to play these great games and it will be beautiful, beautiful. Cibona and Fenerbahce have done great things. The team from Zagreb started very well and has qualified without too much difficulty. Fenerbahce played Roma for the second place in the group. Just to think that it has played practically from the beginning without Giricek, a player to play the Final Four, and in last weeks, there was also an injury of Turkcan. We have some problems too. I repeat: It will be a difficult group, but this does not scare us."

Jacopo Menghetti and Andrey VatutinJacopo Menghetti, Montepaschi sports director:

"We are very happy to play in the Top 16 once again. That means we belong to the best 16 teams in European basketball. Our group, as all groups, is a very difficult one. Just like we did in the past, we have to take one game at the time. We have played many times against CSKA, Fenerbahce Ulker and Cibona, which means we have been at this level for a long time already. It is really important to keep this level and try to reach as high as possible. Every season is different and you have to reach the Top 16 in the best condition, without any injuries. This is very important, not thinking that it will be easy to reach the Final Four just because we played it last season. We must work very hard and take it one game at a time."

Shaun Stonerook, Montepaschi forward

"I think this is a good group for us. It will be not easy but we are excited to be in the Top 16 and we want to reach the quarterfinals. That is our goal, but it won't be easy because we'll be facing very good teams. We'll be aiming to finish first even if we know that will be very difficult. But I think we have a great opportunity. We know CSKA very well and we know that they are one of the best teams in Europe and that last season they were the champions. Also Fenerbahce and Cibona are good teams and it will be very difficult to beat them, especially on the road."

Bogdan Tanjevic, Fenerbahce Ulker head coach

"It's a different group than last season. We are going to challenge our opponents, who finished last year’s Top 16 on top of their groups. CSKA Moscow and Montepaschi Siena both played in the Final Four last season. Also Cibona Zagreb is a very strong team. I can say that we are in the most difficult group. We can easily say that Fenerbahce is not one of the favorites of the group. To reach for the next stage, we have to work and improve our play. We were able to reach the quarterfinals last season with young players. Now we have a more experienced team than last year. We have a new, more familiar concept with the addition of experienced foreigners. We could have finished the regular season on top of the group if we could have escaped injury problems. We will be a more compact team with the addition of Gordan Giricek. It's also really important to have Mirsad Turkcan back in our roster. Those details are important for the game against CSKA Moscow on the road. We also need Omer Asik, but he still needs time for recovery. I hope to have him back in the team for the quarterfinals, if we are able to make it."

Omer Onan, Fenerbahce Ulker guard

"We were thinking about matching up with Unicaja Malaga in the Top 16, because they are a more offensive team than the others. Unexpectedly, we had two tough opponents from the first two pots. As a result of the draw, we are in a very tough group. Both CSKA Moscow and Montepaschi Siena are teams that are known for their defensive talent. Cibona Zagreb is also a very hard opponent. So I can easily say that we are in the toughest group. Anyway, we will try to do everything we can to make our way through to the quarterfinals. If we are able to improve our defensive performance from the last couple of weeks, we can keep on digging for the next stage by winning all of our home games."

Nedim Karakas, Fenerbahce Ulker general managerNedim Karakas, Fenerbahce Ulker general manager

"If you look at all the groups, you can see all the groups are strong, as is ours which has CSKA Moscow, Montepaschi and Cibona, the first two of which were last year in the Final Four. We will try, I hope, to beat them and advance towards the Final Four."

Velimir Perasovic, Cibona head coach

"I think we are in an extremely difficult group and that the Top 16 draw did not go our way. It is enough to say that we are in the same group with the Euroleague champions CSKA Moscow, a team that always plays fantastic in the second part of the season and goes through. Next to CSKA there is Montepaschi, in my opinion the best Italian team and one of the favorites to make it to the Euroleague Final Four, and Fenerbahe Ulker, which is playing a lot better than they did last season. The group at this moment is the most difficult one, but our ambitions remain the same. We will try to win in as many games as we can, especially at home, and try to play at least equal to every opponent."

Mihovil Nakic, Cibona sports director

"I would say any group is difficult because all the teams that reach the Top 16 phase are the best in Europe. Of course we have the current Euroleague champion in CSKA and a very strong Montepaschi and Fenerbahce, which also had a very good season. I hope it will be very attractive for our fans. And also I would like to mention that we are looking forward to hosting two of our former players, Zoran Planinic of CSKA and Gordan Giricek of Fenerbahce, for a visit."
Monday, January 19, 2009
Euroleague.net
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