Sarunas Jasikevicius, the head coach of Fenerbahce, spoke after his team won against Virtus Bologna in Round 13 of the EuroLeague.
Sarunas Jasikevicius and his players tried to secure their fifth consecutive victory in the elite competition — and they succeeded.
“Congratulations to the players and the fans. I’m happy because of the very beautiful basketball Fenerbahce played today,” the Lithuanian began in a sarcastic tone.
“The most important thing is the win. Of course, I’m joking. We don’t want to play like this. I keep repeating myself — wins are what matter. Please don’t ask me anything about Fenerbahce’s basketball. If you want to ask questions about life, that would be good.”
What has changed in the last few games?
“A bit in the starting lineup. As I said, in today’s world you have so many numbers in front of you, and that’s nothing new. When I came to Fenerbahce, this was already a problem with the previous coach. I wasn’t successful with it. Now we’re just better in the last ten games, and we’ll see if we continue. We’re trying.”
A great performance by Nicolo Melli.
“Nico understands that and, one more thing, it’s one thing to understand it, and another to be ready to sacrifice yourself with fouls and going to the bench — but it’s the right thing to do tactically for the team. He brings physicality. Players like Armando (Bacot) bring a lot, but right now we need players who understand EuroLeague basketball and the system.”
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Claim Now Wade Baldwin was the only player to score in double digits. Is that a team or an individual problem?
“The problem is in our heads. The team plays a lot of games — it’s impossible to be fresh. There are too many games, and it won’t be pretty. Those points are the key.”
You have nine days to rest — do you have a plan?
“Oh, trust me, I do! The problem is that the players have one, too — that’s why their minds are already on the plane. We need rest. This is a good moment when you have a few days off. Some players aren’t happy to be playing, but with the situation between the EuroLeague and FIBA, there are a lot of positive things.”
Fenerbahce now stands at an 8–5 record, and their next game is on December 4th, when they visit Olympiacos in Round 14 of the EuroLeague.
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