Tomislav Mijatovic, the head coach of Anadolu Efes, spoke after the win against Crvena Zvezda in the EuroLeague 34th round.
Mijatovic inflicted the most convincing defeat in the history of the competition on the rival, in a game marked by numerous ejections.
“I said that we have players who have the mentality to fight on a daily basis, not to prove something to themselves, but to achieve the highest goals. They succeeded, step by step. The first goal is to be in the play-in.
Now that we were able to do that on the wings of great fans, we turn to the second goal and the first game in the play-in. Before that, we will enjoy, congratulations to everyone, this is a way to represent the club, the city, and Turkey in Europe,” said Tomislav Mijatovic.
They were in a difficult position, with slim chances, but now they are in the playoffs.
“I said that there are players who never lost faith. From the president, GM, all those who work for us and with us believed, despite some tough losses. Everyone around us makes our job easier, to focus only on the court. Even though it’s Bayram, even though people are outside Istanbul, Sinan Erdem was almost full. That’s what Anadolu Efes means to people, that’s why we felt an additional need to fight, and God willing, we will continue,” said Mijatovic.
About a very convincing win
“This is something we didn’t think about (the difference in the end). We play our game, not to prove something. Whether it’s one point or a 50-point difference, it doesn’t matter much to us, we just wanted to win.”
About the opponent in the play-in
“As you know, we have a derby against Besiktas on Sunday. We have to think about that, it’s a team that reached the EuroCup semifinals, well-led, and currently third in the Turkish Super League. We need to rest, stay focused on Besiktas, and then, whoever comes, we’ll be ready.
We don’t choose opponents, we need to remain humble and take it step by step. I apologize if my answer seems too empty, but we can’t overlook our opponents. We’re fighting battles on two fronts, it’s very difficult to disregard such tough games,” concluded Mijatovic.
Crvena Zvezda finished the competition with a record of 11-23, while Anadolu Efes, with a record of 17-17, advances to the play-in and will play against the loser from the Virtus – Baskonia duel.