Chus Mateo: We want to win it, and we’re here to compete and do the best we can

Chus Mateo and Dzanan Musa were the representatives of Real Madrid at the press conference for the presentation of the 2023 Final Four, held at Unity Square in Kaunas.

The coach discussed the semi-final against Barcelona: “This Final Four is something to enjoy after all the hard work we’ve put in. Now, we want to win it, and we’re here to compete and do the best we can. Being here is important, and we’ve been competing for a long time among the top four. We’re arriving in good shape, with just one match in our minds, and we aim to perform well in it.”

“We did a good job during the Regular Phase. There are many teams that performed well throughout the year, and even if they didn’t make it to the Final Four, they deserve applause. We were at the top throughout the Regular Phase, sought home advantage, and ultimately it was key to getting past the playoffs. It was very tough, but there’s no past now, no injuries, no statistics, no favourites.”

Overcoming a difficult season
“The most important thing is to enjoy the moment. We’ve experienced ups and downs during the year, but in the end, we’ve achieved a very beautiful goal, which is to be in another Final Four. Now, we want to get to the end, and hopefully, we can win the title. We must remove the drama from negative situations and try to move forward as a team, which I believe has significantly strengthened us during the Regular Phase and the playoffs.”

Real Madrid’s Mentality
“I believe it’s the spirit of the club, of the team. It’s been a very tough journey to get here, and it’s good to know we would never take a step back or give up, and see how we’ve survived. We’re very proud of the players. This mentality has been in our club for a long time.”