Sotiriou: “We didn’t come to Eurobasket for a vacation”

The federal coach, Petros Prekasas well as the leader Katerina Sotiriourepresented her Women’s National Team at the press conference ahead of tomorrow’s premiere at Women’s Eurobasketagainst Montenegro in Tel Aviv (12:15).

“It is very important that we are here, as one of the 16 best teams in Europe. It is already a success and now it is time to play as a whole, to play as one, with confidence and passion. We are very happy to participate in Eurobasket“, said the coach. “For me personally it is the biggest challenge in my career, because it is my first Eurobasket. I feel a little pressure, but I’m very happy. I had a very good year in Italy, but the National team is something different. Skio is my job, but the National team is special, because you feel responsible for your country“, he added.

As for the match against Montenegro, he said:It’s the first game. If we win, we will continue with confidence and a good mentality. Montenegro is an experienced team, they have a certain style, with a lot of pick-and-rolls and we will have to play very aggressively in defense. We should run the field, because we are superior in speed».

Regarding the other opponents he said:Spain is a very strong team and will challenge for a medal, while Latvia is a very good team with experience. But for us the priority is the match with Montenegro, to win it and then we go game by game. We have two very experienced players, like Sotiriou and Stamati, along with many younger ones. It was hard to find the chemistry, but now we play as a team».

About the coach of Slovenia, George Diakoulakos, with whom he works in Skios, he said:They are my friends first. We have been working together for many years, we are professionals and we have good chemistry between us».

Katerina Sotiriou, for her part, emphasized: “Eurobasket is a big event. I feel proud and grateful to be here, as a Greek woman and captain of the team. I wish everyone to be healthy and enjoy the tournament as much as possible. We are not here for a holiday, but to get as many wins as we can. The goal is to take a step forward for Women’s basketball in Greece, because we have a fundamentally young team. Every experience is different, all these FIBA ​​competitions are life experiences and I am very happy that we are here».

Regarding the differences compared to the previous Eurobasket, the leader said: “We made a new start with a new coach, with a new philosophy. Step by step we are trying to create a culture in the team and have the identity of Greece. Our motto is to dare to dream. We work hard, we have faith in ourselves and we have to be patient. We want to take a step forward. I hope and pray that we will succeed. We go day by day, game by game. We have faith in ourselves. Let’s see how far we can go“, he added.

Asked about Mariella Fasoula’s improvement, she answered: “He has had a great run over the years, but even more so this year. Seeing her develop, as a leader and as a friend, is a beautiful thing. Everyone sees her talent stand out outside of Greece. It’s great to have her with us, she’s our star, one of the players who lead our team. It’s a great opportunity for me to play together just before I retire».