Ioannis Sfairopoulos, the head coach of Crvena Zvezda, spoke after his team’s defeat to Real Madrid with a convincing score of 72-58.
The team from Belgrade currently holds a record of 5-10, while the reigning EuroLeague champion boasts an impressive 14-1 record after 15 played games.
“We played against a quality team, the current champion, and the leader in the standings. I believe there were moments when we played well. It’s not enough. They have one of the best defenses and offenses in the EuroLeague.
Our shooting percentages were not good, even though we held them to only 72 points. I am satisfied with the effort from some of my players, but I think some could have done more. I want to thank the fans; their support means a lot to us, and we’re glad they are here with us. Shabazz Napier is in negotiations with another club and requested not to play against Real,” said Ioannis Sfairopoulos.
![Milos-Teodosic-crvena-zvezda](https://basketballsphere.com/en/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/Milos-Teodosic-crvena-zvezda.jpg)
“I think we weren’t unfocused, and we didn’t play without energy. I’ve already said this; I don’t understand the question. If you watch the EuroLeague, you could see that Real Madrid starts games with a plus 20. We took an eight-point lead, and you want to tell me that’s bad? In modern basketball, it’s impossible to play with the same five players for all 40 minutes. Players asked for substitutions because they were tired, and that’s what we did.”
Next match against Maccabi Tel Aviv
“We have to keep fighting for the next game, It will be the third match in five days. We don’t care about that, it’s on us to be ready and fight. We’ll play against a good offensive team.”
Shabazz Napier
“He told me this morning that he doesn’t want to play and doesn’t want to risk injury. He is currently negotiating with another club. He won’t return to the team. He excluded himself from the team,” Crvena Zvezda’s coach briefly stated.
Scoring difficulties
“Shabazz hasn’t played well so far and hasn’t scored many points. I agree that Nemanja Nedović didn’t have a good day. He’s very experienced; we trust him, and he’s a player we know will be there when needed. Of course, we are trying to find the best players for the team. We want reinforcements that will make us better, anyone who can contribute. The market is very weak right now. Everyone is trying to find playmakers and centers. It’s not easy to find a good player at the moment, we don’t know who will come.
I can’t tell you any insider information because we are a family. What is clear is that we want quality players. That’s why we brought in Freddie Gillespie because we believe he can help us. Now we have to find a player who can help the team in the same way. We are trying to bring in players from other teams, pay compensation, from the EuroCup and the FIBA Champions League, but teams don’t want to sell players because it’s hard to find them right now.”
Mike Tobey and Ognjen Kuzmic – their status
“For Kuzmic, I can say he will be out of the team because it’s hard to find minutes for him. He’s a great person and professional, but it’s also a professional decision to part ways. Mike Tobey is here and will be here ,he has to play better, he knows it, and he’s trying,” concluded Ioannis Sfairopoulos.