Bartzokas: “If we get two or three European titles at Olympiacos it will be fantastic”

THE Olympic within a few days he claims European titles in football, basketball, polo and handball. From his own account, o George Bartzokas he did not hide that it would be a very big deal for the club to win even two or three of these titles and of course he was referring to his own team’s effort in the Euroleague.

“Let’s hope we can win as many titles as possible for our team. The Greeks know very well the size of the team. What does the passion that this club and this shirt create in the fans mean? How they affect their lives. Having a fairly large sample of such people, I know how happy they are with what the team has achieved. Even with polo, we went to the women’s final. With volleyball. You know, Olympiacos is that thing. If we manage to win even one European title for the team this week, it will be very important. If we can get two or three it will be fantastic. I wish“, said the coach of Piraeus at today’s media day ahead of the Final 4 in Berlin.

The coach of Olympiakos is certainly happy to see a blank medical report. “Everyone trained today as normal, so no problem. You never know what can happen in sports. We certainly feel very happy, excited. I think all players should be ready to help the team. Even if we are not healthy, we will still be happy. It is a significant achievement for the club to play in the Final Four for the third year in a row. Be on top. There you also need luck, of course, which we didn’t have in the past. Let’s hope we have it this year. In any case it is an important moment for everyone. We will look to enjoy it“, he pointed out.

Regarding whether the 0/2 that Olympiacos has this year against Real plays a role, he said:Every game is a different story, even with the same team. We had lost 7/8 games against Spanish teams in the regular season, but we beat Barcelona three times. We were also close to a fourth. In essence, the team is trained throughout the year to have habits, whether in the game or in training. This during the season develops and reaches a point. For us this is obviously some climaxes we had. The Greek Cup, the Final Four and the finals. We think we are all getting better. The two previous games against Real Madrid we were terribly lacking. In the Spain game we didn’t have Fal and Milutinov and then we lost Petrusev in a crushing way. McKissick had just returned from injury. This time the conditions are different compared to the ones we faced earlier in the year. I won’t say about last year, I will only say about this year. So I think that they will meet a different Olympiakos, I think they already know that. Because they also have a benchmark, beating Barcelona three times, I think the team’s momentum is great. I think they won’t be complacent or anything. What will judge, I think you don’t need to exaggerate about something. Players should be ready to play for the team, control their spontaneity and impulsiveness. To follow the plan. If you do the simple things well, if you can not get carried away by the excitement or the disappointment, then I think we will have serious luck to win. It goes without saying that Real Madrid was the best team of the regular season. I don’t think anyone doubts it. Of course they are also the most talented team. We hope that we will be as we should be, to win».

Regarding whether something changes in the preparation of Olympiakos, he said:No. Nothing to do with. It’s just that in the final we had them last year we had one day to prepare, while this year we had more days. The approach is the same: Focus on the opponent’s strengths and weaknesses and our own».

Regarding the pressure and its management, he underlined:The pressure is always the same. Each person handles it differently. I will speak for myself. We need to understand where we are. We’re in our third straight Final Four, I’ve got five. Some have more, some less. I know well what it’s like to manage a Final Four. How are things with the media, how are they with the people, how do we have to prepare, there is a loss of tickets, people are pressuring us and we cannot respond. We upset people. In all this intense time, you have to stay focused on what you did all year. Have a routine. Experience plays a role in this. Because in general our club is experienced and has been to many Final Fours, the people around us solve many of the problems, that’s the main thing: To go to a training routine without varying things. Simply the habits we have acquired throughout the year to execute in this match».

Asked if he thinks fate owes Olympiacos something for the way it lost in the last two Final 4s, he was content to answer: “Let’s hope».

Regarding the characterization of the hungry pack that his players have, he emphasized: “It has been proven. It’s clear. It is an expression used by players for fun and by journalists. The way we got into the playoffs showed a lot about the toughness of this team. Without even having players who took out their eyes, scoring 30 points. The reaction we had in Game 4 against Barcelona, ​​which we won by 30 points, when we had lost like we lost the last one, where the EuroLeague admitted that we should have won. But also the next game, how we came in to play there, shows a metal in this team, that has been proven. This metal was not seen last year in the final, we could have won, but this is basketball. Let’s hope we’re on the bright side this year».

When asked if he is satisfied with the establishment of Olympiacos at the highest level, he replied:Not only does it satisfy me, I think it’s the most important thing of all. It shows that Olympiacos is here to stay. This means that something is going well at this club».

Finally, on the big question of whether he prefers Final 4 knockouts or series games he said: “I’m in favor of the Final Four because I think it’s the most important basketball event in Europe. It involves a risk as to whether the best team takes it. But it’s like the NCAA Final Four, which is the biggest basketball event in America. It is the same in Europe. You all know what it means. Being involved in these two games like this is the most important thing».