Chus Mateo: "We're going to try for a good final sprint to get into the playoffs"
"It's a vital game for us and we hope that the fans will help us to get the win," explained Llull before El Clásico.
Chus Mateo and Sergio Llull spoke ahead of Real Madrid-Barcelona, corresponding to Euroleague game 27 (Thursday, 8:45pm CET). The coach spoke about the Clásico at the Movistar Arena: "We have an opponent in front of us who also needs to win and we know what we need to do to get into the playoffs. We have many direct clashes with teams involved in this fight and we're going to go for a good final sprint. Hopefully, we'll be able to catch them because that is the next objective."
"It's a different year. The fact that we are not yet as established in the Euroleague as we were last year makes you think that the clear objective is to reach the playoffs. Every game counts. The competitiveness of this Euroleague means we have to fight until the last day to achieve it. That's what we're going to do, keep working and fighting to reach that goal step by step.‘
Available players and the Dennis Smith Jr. situation
"The team is the one you see here. There are 14 of us, enough to face this final stretch. Dennis Smith Jr. arrived at a difficult time for us. He had to make an effort to get fit after a long period of inactivity. He hasn't adapted as well as he would have liked, nor has he adapted to our style of play. He can't be blamed for a lack of professionalism either. He has decided to take a different path. He's a player who's no longer with us and that's just the way it is."
Deck's recovery
"It's going well, along the lines we expected. We haven't forced him to reappear before time. We're trying to get him to meet the deadlines set. He's had his treatments and individual work and I hope he can join the group training sessions as soon as possible. He's not yet ready to get into the team dynamic but I hope that next week we can start some part of the training with him so that he can gradually get involved."
How is the team morale?
"At Real Madrid there are always moments when you win and when you come up just short. What our club and our fans expect is that we get back up when we fall. We want to go as far as possible in LaLiga and the Euroleague because they are two titles that motivate us."
Is the team ready for the pressure?
"It's nothing new. Every Real Madrid player has to be ready. Nobody here makes excuses and people take responsibility when things don't go well. I think wearing this badge and this shirt comes with responsibility. We've been ready from day one to take on a responsibility that isn't taken on elsewhere. We always fight to the end."
Ibaka
"I see him training with great professionalism, desire and attitude, so I don't understand the rumours. It's the first I've heard of it. It's easy that at some point when Real Madrid lose a final certain rumours can be spread that sometimes don't have good intentions. What we have to do is stick together and fight together."
Barcelona
"They're going to come out fighting as hard as they can, trying to turn around a situation that is not favourable for them. We're going to see the best possible Barcelona. We will try to do our job with conviction, trying to fight for every ball, understanding the key to beating them and hoping to be able to get an important result for us because it would give us a lot of optimism for the end of the season."
Llull: ‘We have to ensure we win our home games’
"We're really looking forward to it. We know it's a vital game for us, against a direct rival. A Clásico is special and we hope that the people will support us and help us to get an important victory."
Objective
"It's to try to reach the playoffs, to finish as high as possible and that means securing tomorrow's victory, the home games, and trying to win some away games because this Euroleague is increasingly competitive and evenly matched."
What kind of Barcelona do you expect?
"Surely an opponent wounded after their elimination in the Cup. A Barcelona that has had time to prepare for this game and will come out swinging from the start."
Among the best 25 players in the history of the Euroleague
"It's a source of pride. The fact that all the people who voted thought of me to be on that list is a compliment. I want to thank everyone who voted for me. It's still an individual award, but seeing your name with that of other great Euroleague legends is a source of satisfaction and further motivation to keep working and helping the team to win."