Itoudis: “Olympiacos has the guarantees for the Final 4”

He was better Olympic in the fifth match and justly took the victory-qualification at her expense Fenerbahceas admitted by Dimitris Itoudisat the press conference.

Afterwards, the Greek coach emphasized that the “red and white” they have the guarantees and the experience to make a very good Final Four, while at the same time he reiterated the opinion of holding the finals in the form of playoffs.

“Congratulations to Olympiakos for the victory and qualification. Like I said to everyone, I wish them the best of luck. It was a very interesting series. I would put the key point at 29-31, with 4 minutes left in the half and Olympiakos making it 15-2. Big difference for the series because we managed to keep Olympiakos away from good traffic. Papanikolaou and Walkup started very aggressive, followed by Slukas, they hit big shots. We didn’t do exactly what we did in the first four matches that well. We will improve as a team and units. We keep the good times and we will come back stronger, smarter and more determined“, initially stated Dimitris Itoudis.

For injuries:Olympiacos is a team that has been together for three years, very well structured. Luckily he didn’t have many injuries, we did although that’s no excuse. When a new coach cannot see the players all together, with this limit in the Turkish league with five foreigners, there is an issue for us. We found solutions even though we had players out, with our ups and downs in a highly competitive Euroleague. By the 34th matchday we were in 5th place and had not qualified yet. We will return more experienced and more properly structured. These are lessons for us, we are disappointed, we came close with our strategy. Obviously, Olympiacos was and is the favorite and we wish them the best of luck. Today, justice prevailed and it is where it is».

For Wilbekin: “Since Wilbekin didn’t come in, he obviously wasn’t ready. In this style of play it was our choices that got us into good momentum in games outside of the fifth and we lost our touch in the closing minutes of the first half».

On whether it was unlucky to play with Olympiakos: “You’re not looking for the last game to claim what’s rightfully yours. If we consider those who were left out of the play-offs, I think we achieved the first goal we were here for. We could be 5th or 4th but it doesn’t mean we would be in a different fate. We see that Barcelona emphatically qualified but the other series are tied. I think that Olympiacos has the structure and the ability, the experience from last year to lead a better effort. The odds are 25% but he is guaranteed to make the Final 4».

For the play-offs or Final-4 question: “Basketball equals play-offs for me, I’ve been saying that for many years. Since the Euroleague was made with a robin round and more games, full stadiums, I think we should go to the play-offs. You saw the series. If Olympiacos and Barcelona played a series, wouldn’t the stadiums be full or wouldn’t the fans be interested? At a football event everyone will go for a game. It is time to think about it also in terms of the domestic league calendar. We play a derby in Turkey and the stadium has 1500 people but in the Euroleague it is full. We have to look at this more seriously, I think the same is happening in the Spanish league and the Greek league. When called we will take a position. Amazing games are made in this series, just like in the others».