Coach Luca Banchi’s Latvia was eliminated in the Round of 16 at EuroBasket 2025 at the hands of Lithuania. This match was Banchi’s last on the Latvian bench, as it had already been announced that this European Championship would mark the final experience for the Italian coach with the Baltic national team. After the game, Banchi, disappointed with the outcome, also reflected on what had been accomplished during his four years with Latvia.
These are his statements, reported by Eurohoops: “Unfortunately, we are very disappointed. The game went in their direction. We came back, but by the end of the first quarter, they had accumulated 10 points and were so good at maintaining that lead throughout the game. With better poise, we could have come back, but that situation created anxiety. We were in a rush, and it wasn’t our best day. What we found on the court is what we expected: Lithuania plays this kind of basketball—intense, physical, very aggressive—and we weren’t as sharp as in other circumstances. We need better control of the game and our emotions to beat such a well-prepared team.”
And this are his statements about his years spent with Latvia: “I’m very proud. I arrived probably at one of the worst moments for basketball in Latvia, but everything changed fast. I believe the national team belongs to the people. This team shows how you can combine talent and values with a country whose people gave us, and me personally, so much love. From day one, they made me feel part of this community, despite being probably the only foreigner in the entire program. I felt like a Latvian and at home from day one. To leave here is something unique, and this connection will remain no matter what. It’s difficult to describe… The disappointment of the game dominates my thoughts, but what happened in the last five summers is amazing: we brought Latvia to the top of the European basketball power rankings, and with good basketball. That’s why I’m disappointed—we didn’t show our best version tonight.“
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