Real Madrid is set to play in the 2023-2024 EuroLeague Final Four in Berlin. The Madrid team is the defending champion and will have to try to defend the title they won last season. In the press conference presenting the event, coach Chus Mateo and center Edy Tavares spoke, these are their statements.
Chus Mateo on being the favorite in the predictions, “Favorite is a good word, why not, but we don’t focus on that in the locker room, for us it’s important to understand what we have to do to win the Final Four. We respect Olympiacos a lot, they are gentlemen on the court and on the bench. This is the only thing we talk about in the locker room,” Chus Mateo began.
On the team’s desire to win the title again: “We are not defending the title, we will try to get it one more time. We are not defending anything. We’re not thinking about anything else, we’re not going any further. We are still hungry, we are not thinking about first place in the regular season. We are here to win, nothing that has happened in the past will affect us.”
Chus Mateo on Rudy Fernandez, in his last Final Four before retirement: “He is very motivated, probably for that reason. We will try to give him the last trophy, for him. That is one of the reasons why we are fighting. For him and for Gaby Deck, who will not be with us, that’s another reason why we are fighting.”
Chus Mateo on the importance of Edy Tavares: “I can’t describe the size of Edy Tavares conditioning the opponents’ game and our game. We want to continue playing with Edy, he is the best center in Europe and the most fundamental. Humanly speaking, you already know what I think of him. He is a fantastic player and human being. Poirier is also very important to us.”
He was followed by Edy Tavares, who praised his team’s attitude and experience. “That’s one of the best things we have on the team, having the experience and the guys who can lead us to win. That’s why we are here every year, it’s another opportunity for us to get a trophy.”
Tavares on Rudy Fernandez: “As a fan, he is one of my favorite players. For me, it’s the biggest motivation to end his career with a EuroLeague trophy,” Walter Tavares continued.
Tavares on the Final Four: “Never underestimate anyone, and this is what I want to teach my players. Focusing on the future and hopefully winning another trophy is the ultimate. No one will remember what happened yesterday.”
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