Chus Mateo, the head coach of Real Madrid, spoke after the game against Olympiacos in the EuroLeague semifinals.
Chus Mateo aimed to reach another final with the “royal club” and the opportunity for a second title in two seasons, which he achieved. The Madrid team demolished the red-and-whites in a dominant performance.
“We perfectly understood what we needed to do to beat a team with a big heart. They play great defense throughout the season, we understood how to control the rhythm, run after rebounds. We defended well and shot 9/13 from three-point range in the first half. Of course, we knew it wasn’t enough, we kept fighting and knew they would come back as they always do.
When they started grabbing offensive rebounds and hitting threes, we were able to read the game in the end with two playmakers. It was nice to see my players understand what needed to be done. It’s incredible to see how they fought and defended together. We’re probably not the best at it, but I’m proud of how we did it in the first half. I congratulate them, they deserve it,” Mateo said.
Differences between Olympiacos this and the previous season
“They maintained their character, and their coach is one of the best in Europe for a long time. They can win even though they lost Sloukas and Vezenkov. Except for Peters tonight, it wasn’t easy for them to score, and we have a lot of talent. They kept their style, the heart of a champion, and they will always be at the Final Four because they deserve it.”
What surprises him about the players?
“We scored 87 points, but they defended very well in the second half, holding us to 31 points. That’s a team that defends well. My players surprise me every day, but I have to be honest. It’s because of defense, as some teammates push them to do it, even though they are very talented offensively. The first half was brilliant in terms of rebounding and defense. This is a group of guys who don’t care about individual performance but about the team.”
What to expect in the final
“Of course, there are ups and downs during the game. You can have an advantage and lose it. We were able to withstand their surge. I don’t know which Real Madrid we’ll see on Sunday, just that they’ll fight as hard as they can. That’s basketball, you can be down by 20 and lead by 20. It’s a 40-minute game.”
Defense of Hezonja
“It’s very important for us to understand that we have to fight for every ball. Mario is a talented player, it’s nice to watch him on offense and when he dives for the ball on defense… That’s something great, it shows character. That’s the character of Real Madrid in him. Just like Musa hitting a block, Chacho playing defense. When players born to be great on offense also do it on defense, it makes me proud.”
Panathinaikos
“I need to see more from Panathinaikos, their game tonight. When they beat us, I need to see that, the last games in the playoffs. I’m not surprised they’re in the final because they are full of confidence now. They have a coach who pushes them to be champions, and it won’t be easy. They have leaders in the team, Sloukas and scorers, rebounders, chemistry. It will be tough. That’s all I can tell you. Tomorrow, after a beer, I’ll start thinking about it.”
Physical play in the pick-and-roll
“They asked me about whether we are favorites. I don’t feel that way, but that we have to beat one team, not 17 teams. It was Olympiacos, now it will be Panathinaikos. For the red-and-whites, we knew they would try to slow us down. When we don’t control the rebound, it’s hard to run. It all starts from good defense. In the second half, some of my players found space and lanes to the basket.”
Chacho and beer
“It’s good to see him at his age making those passes, he was never exceptionally strong, but he has maintained his form. It’s great to have him here and how he has played all season. He came in good form to the Final Four. There will be time for a beer tonight.”
Second consecutive final
“Of course, it’s not easy, but I’m surrounded by very good collaborators and players, and I owe these two finals to them. Players make coaches great. That needs to be known. I’m not a coach who wants to be a star. I need players and collaborators, and that will make me great, together with them. Tonight, we didn’t play with Deck. He’s injured, but he pushed the team to this point. This is for him as well, we want to win the title for him, for Rudy Fernandez, and for the whole team,” Mateo concluded.
Real Madrid will play in the final for the second consecutive year, with their opponent being Panathinaikos. Olympiacos will compete for third place against Fenerbahce. The games are scheduled for Sunday at 6:00 and 9:00 PM.