2015-16 Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final Four Opening Press Conference quotes

The Turkish Airlines Euroleague Fan Zone canopy shielded players, coaches, dignitaries and members of the media from the bright Berlin sun as representatives of the four teams in the German capital to compete for the ultimate title gathered at Alexanderplatz for the traditional Opening Press Conference. Renowned German sports journalist Frank Buschmann was the master of ceremonies for the event, which came on the heels of the Euroleague Awards Ceremony. Coach Dimitris Itoudis and freshly crowned Euroleague MVP Nando De Colo of CSKA Moscow, Coach Zeljko Obradovic and big man Jan Vesely of Fenerbahce Istanbul, Coach Velimir Perasovic and center Ioannis Bourousis of Laboral Kutxa Laboral Vitoria and Coach Georgios Bartzokas and guard Malcolm Delaney of Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar gathered to discuss this weekend’s games to be played at Mercedes-Benz Arena. Mr. Andreas Statzkowski, Permanent Secretary of the Berlin Senate for the Interior and Sport, welcomed the attendees and Euroleague Basketball President and CEO Jordi Bertomeu and Turkish Airlines Senior Vice President Mr. Ziya Taskent also addressed the assembled crowd before the attention turned to the players and coaches. Below is a synopsis of what was said.  
 

Mr. Andreas Statzkowski, Permanent Secretary of the Berlin Senate for the Interior and Sport

“Although the city regularly hosts large-scale, prestigious sporting events, the 2016 Euroleague Final Four is of course one of the major highlights on the city’s sporting calendar this year and is again leading the international focus to Germany’s capital of sports...
“So if you ask me, the Final Four tournament is happening in the best possible location. Basketball is one of the favorite and successful team sports in the city – around 10,000 people belong to Berlin’s basketball clubs with programs for children and youth as well as for professionals. That’s why I am more than happy that next to the Final Four event, Euroleague organized a tournament for young talents at the Sportforum Berlin.” 
 
Mr. Jordi Bertomeu, Euroleague Basketball President and CEO 

"The Turkish Airlines Euroleague Final Four will again be a sold-out event. As in every year, we get wide distribution and a huge audience thanks to our 73 TV broadcasters, which will allow us to reach around 200 countries, confirming once again that the Final Four is a global event and the fans are in the center of every decision in Euroleague Basketball, in the center of all of our strategy. This is why next season we will launch a new Euroleague. We are proud of what we did in the last 16 years, this is why this Final Four, the last in this age, is very special for us. It is the beginning of a new era. From next October, the first European basketball league will take the stage. The best teams in Europe will play during six months of competition, with our fans enjoying all European teams playing each other. Without a doubt, it is the biggest decision the clubs have taken in Euroleague Basketball history and the culmination of the vision we had from the very beginning to create a true European League. That goes hand by hand with our partner, IMG, with whom we are committed to offer our fans a brilliant future. We are not going to pay attention or be distracted with disputes. We have a strong determination and a strong commitment from our clubs and its owners to focus only on what matters to our fans: good games, great talents, great coaches, a professional organization and an excellent competition, an excellent European League."

 
Mr. Ziya Taskent, Senior Vice President at Turkish Airlines:

“I also would like to welcome you. It’s a pleasure for me to be here with you today. And special thanks to the officials of the Euroleague, to let me spend a few words on the partnership with the Euroleague and for having us here today. We are very proud of being the naming partner of the Turkish Airlines Euroleague, and the global sponsor of Eurocup for already six years now. It all started when we first became the title sponsor in Paris 2010. Following a new agreement as a renewal and extension in 2013, the organization will retain the name Turkish Airlines Euroleague until 2020, at least.

 “Now, the exciting Final will start tomorrow and the four best European teams in basketball will meet each other. There couldn’t be any better choice than Berlin, a lovely city for travelers and local fans. We’ve been flying to Berlin for 43 years. This weekend will be historic, which will crown a new Turkish Airlines Euroleague champion from Russia, Spain or Turkey, in front of thousands of fans and the world.  As you may know, Turkish Airlines has endorsed sports on an international level like golf, tennis, diving, rugby, football and, basketball of course, all over the world for many years. And special for this year: The EURO 2016 in France, where Turkish Airlines will be the first airline sponsor in history. We are more than happy to be a part of it there, too.  Thank you very much again for joining us and I wish us all a breathtaking final of the Turkish Airlines Euroleague here in Berlin. May the best team win and take the trophy.”
 
Dimitris Itoudis, CSKA Moscow head coach

“We have to mention that we also won the regular season, which is also a great accomplishment. It’s a great honor to be here among so many great coaches and players. We all know that whatever happened in the past, happened. At the Final Four, you gotta be ready, determined. We believe in teamwork. Regarding confidence, this us what we need. We built it in daily practices. I don’t believe anybody here isn’t confident. You gotta win with those small details.”

Nando De Colo, CSKA Moscow guard and 2015-16 Euroleague MVP

“We have the best defender, so this is good! But you know our team is based on offensive skills. Me and [Teodosic] has more responsibility, but everybody is involved in our game. We try to play together. We have great players with great skills on offense. We know that we need to just stay together and play aggressive. All season we said every game is a final and tomorrow will be our final.” 
 
Zeljko Obradovic, Fenerbahce Istanbul head coach:

“You try to prepare the game and win. My mind is only on this semifinal. They have three excellent point guards: Adams, James and Bourousis. Always I try to understand them. That is the key to our game.”

Jan Vesely, Fenerbahce Istanbul forward:

“I was here two times already, and I never won in semifinals. Main thing is to stay focused for 40 minutes and play until last seconds. Small details decide the game. It is nice to get these individual awards, but important thing is to take the trophy and win games. But that is all our team is thinking about.”

Velimir Perasovic, Laboral Kutxa Vitoria Gasteiz head coach:

"I am sure we did something amazing for our club, for our fans, by making it to the Final Four. Now that we are here, we have a dream and have to take one more step, do everything we can to make our dream come true. We worked with great honesty all season. We had a solid Euroleague season and deserve to be here."
 
Ioannis Bourousis, Laboral Kutxa Vitoria Gasteiz center:

"First of all, thank you very much one more time for being back to the Final Four. As for my performance, you have to ask my coach, Velimir Perasovic. He pushed me from the beginning of the season to play better and do better in practice. I am older and a very important player for the team. We wanted to do something big together for the city, for the team. We played together, worked together and got this opportunity to play the Final Four."

Georgios Bartzokas, Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar head coach:

“It is a great honor for our club that for a second-time participant we are part of the Final Four. We are happy about this. Zeljko asked before the press conference, if CSKA has the Best Defender, MVP, best scorer, what are we doing here? So, it is funny, but it is true. We have to compete. For us, for me, it was a little bit difficult to build up a team on defense, especially in Russia where basketball has an offensive approach. But it was the only way to succeed, to reach our goal. We have offensive players like Malcolm, but at the same time we have to stay together, we have to play defense. We have to play defense as we did the whole season, but we have to score. It is not easy against Kyle [Hines], but we will try.”

Malcolm Delaney, Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar guard:

“I am all about the smaller team beating a bigger team. Me and Tyrese [Rice] are close, I watched that Final Four closely. And I feel like I am in the same situation. We as a club, no one thinks we can do anything. And thought that the whole season.  And look where we are. For me, I have a chip on my shoulder, and it is the same approach that Tyrese had coming into Final Four. And we are going to be ready. I enjoy that, I like being on teams that people think can't do anything. [This season] we beat all the big teams with exception of one. It is fun for me, and I think we have a style of play and system everyone likes to watch. It is going to be fun to watch tomorrow.”