Basketball. Euroleague: Monaco under pressure against Barça

Monaco no longer has the right to make a mistake this Tuesday (7 p.m.) when they host Barcelona for the decisive match to reach the European Final Four.

"I always say that the most important thing is consistent results. But this is our fourth consecutive playoffs (after Olympiakos, Tel Aviv, Fenerbahçe, Editor's note), for as many as five matches. I would have preferred it to have gone differently," says Oleksiy Yefimov, the Monaco general manager.

Two consecutive defeats

The architect of the current team, he may have smiled at this final confrontation against Barcelona, ​​on the evening of the second consecutive defeat in Catalonia (79-72, after 100-89) on Friday , but he was very upset.

Because Monaco had wasted two match points. "We especially missed our chance in the fourth," said coach Vassilis Spanoulis. "We didn't execute our plans properly and missed crucial shots when we were ahead."

The Roca Team will play in its Gaston-Médecin arena, as it has for the past two seasons, with a qualification against Tel Aviv (2023), an elimination against Fenerbahçe (2024). "We fought 34 days for this and if, throughout my career, someone tells me: 'You will systematically play the fifth match, qualifying for the Final Four at home,' I'll take it," insists Spanoulis.

This match is crucial, however, and millionaire Russo-Hungarian president Aleksey Fedoricsev made no mistake about it. Even though he was slightly unwell, he came to see his players and staff on Monday, wearing a respiratory protection mask, to emphasize how essential victory was for the club's development.

“Clear mind” and “lots of heart”

"There's pressure, that's for sure," Yefimov summarizes. "But we'll be able to handle it. First of all, most of the players have experienced the playoffs in previous years and know the tension. Daniel Theis also has the experience. And then, Vassilis Spanoulis always showed his best in these matches when he was a player. He knows how to lead a team in these circumstances."

"We mustn't be afraid of losing," the new Monaco coach said. "There's no pressure. It's a basketball game, with a plan to execute."

With the two teams being quite similar in level, Spanoulis emphasizes the mental strength his players will need to maintain. "You must never stop fighting, always believe in yourself," he says. "Whether you're ahead or not, anything can happen. You must never change your attitude. That's how good things happen."

Spanoulis therefore expects from Mike James and his team "a clear mind" and "a lot of heart" to give on the court, "to play our basketball."

“ Controlling our emotions”

The Roca Team captain's level will also be scrutinized. In the first match (97-80), he, along with Theis, was essential. The next match (92-79), saw Alpha Diallo and Mam Jaiteh, "still with Terry Tarpey as the X-factor, and since the start of the series, Matthew Strazel has been very consistent," insists Yefimov. "So it's a match for all of Monaco, not just for Mike," asserts the Monegasque manager.

Confident in his men, Yefimov concluded: "The match will be won through combat and our ability to control our emotions (...) Qualifying will be a great success, but there's no point celebrating. Because we have many other goals after that."