Ioannis Sfairopoulos: In the last five minutes, we fell apart, it’s not as it’s being talked about
0![Ioannis Sfairopoulos: In the last five minutes, we fell apart, it’s not as it’s being talked about Ioannis-Sfairopoulos](https://basketballsphere.com/en/wp-content/uploads/2023/11/Ioannis-Sfairopoulos-6.jpg)
Photo: Printscreen
Ioannis Sfairopoulos, the coach of Crvena Zvezda, spoke at a press conference after the EuroLeague clash against Milano.
The Italian team secured their sixth consecutive win against the red-and-white squad, this time with a score of 93:71. The team from Belgrade couldn’t find a way to stop Milano’s barrage. Their opponents managed to score a remarkable 17 three-pointers out of 27 attempts.
“Le Scarpette Rosse” now has four wins this season, holding a 4-6 record, while Crvena Zvezda is now at a negative record of 3-7.
“I want to say that we didn’t display a good performance. We started the match with good energy, took the lead early in the second half, played smart both offensively and defensively. After a timeout, they continued to play very well, shooting from outside with outstanding percentages.
They made 11 three-pointers in the second half, and I think that was a crucial moment that changed the momentum. We tried to fight back, missed some open shots. After that, in the last five minutes, we fell apart. Milan possesses tremendous quality, as they showed. We tried to change the defense several times, but most of the time, they successfully adapted and found ways to score, mainly through three-pointers.
We have to continue and lift our heads, fight in every game, whether at home or away. We have to draw some lessons from this game. I want to finish by saying that we didn’t respect the fans who support us every game. I’m sorry we disappointed them, but I want them to be with us,” said Ioannis Sfairopoulos.
“The coach bears the most responsibility. I am still trying to find specific solutions. Joel Bolomboy started the second half, but we decided to utilize the offensive potential, namely the shooting ability, of Mike Tobey.
In both the first and especially the second half, we hesitated a lot with certain shots and passes, displaying uncertainty. There was a lack of aggression. It wasn’t a concentration drop, but rather a lack of decisiveness.”
“Some key players were unavailable, but I don’t want to use that as an excuse. I believe in my players, and I think that regardless of who is missing, we can compensate for it. Adam Hanga is not seriously injured, he is expected to start training on Sunday and return. We still don’t know when he will be back, but the talk about his injury is not as serious as it’s being portrayed. We still don’t know when he will be fully ready to return to the court,” said Ioannis Sfairopoulos.
“I believe in the experience of my players. Regardless of wins or losses. We discussed it in the locker room, no matter what happens, it’s up to us to react and be ready for every upcoming game.”