A press conference took place before the 2022 Final Four of the Basketball Champions League (BCL). Head coaches and captains of the teams attended the meeting held at the Bilbao Arena in Bilbao, Spain.
A press conference took place before the 2022 Final Four of the Basketball Champions League (BCL). Head coaches and captains of the teams attended the meeting held at the Bilbao Arena in Bilbao, Spain.
Highlights from the statements of the head coaches and captains are as follows:
Guy Goodes, Head Coach of Hapoel U-NET Holon, Israel:
“We were very close to being eliminated in the play-in stage and returning home. After the Beşiktaş game we played in Turkey, we gained our self-confidence, started to believe in ourselves and completed our group as the leader. We became the first Israeli club to reach the final four. This is a huge success for us. We will try to take this to the next level.”
Txus Vidorreta, Head Coach of Lenovo Tenerife, Spain representative:
“I’m from Bilbao and it’s an extra pressure to be the host here. We learned two months ago that for the first time in the BCL a Final Four would not be held by the home club. It was unthinkable that we would not be here this season, while I participated in the final tournament in all my four seasons here. We came up with solutions and were motivated like any other team here. Our focus right now is just the Hapoel Holon team.”
Germany representative, MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg Head Coach John Patrick:
“It will be an amazing experience to play against packed stands after we are closed due to the coronavirus. We have the opportunity to play in a beautiful hall and we are very excited to be here. We are most excited that we represent Germany and that we have a chance to win the championship.”
Spain representative BAXI Manresa Head Coach Pedro Martinez:
“We hope to fight the right way. We know that it is very difficult to win this trophy. If we have a good weekend, we have a chance to win. We are ready and motivated for this.”
Guy Pnini, Captain of Hapoel U-NET Holon:
“It is very exciting to be here. We started our journey at BCL 5 years ago. Throughout our journey, we learned lessons and adapted ourselves. Our first 3 years were tough, but last year was a great success for us. I am happy to have done even better this year. It’s a big job for us to be here in Europe’s biggest tournament.”
Lenovo Tenerife Captain Marcelinho Huertas:
“It has been a fantastic year for us. We are in our coach’s hometown and we have a great opportunity ahead of us. We have teammates who have played in Bilbao before. I hope we have some more fans and we can take the trophy back to Tenerife.”
MHP RIESEN Ludwigsburg Captain Jonas Wohlfarth Botterman:
“The energy within the team is great. We are very, very happy to be here. We are in the Final Four for the second time in the club’s history. The whole club is really excited. We have a deep respect for our opponent, but we are confident in ourselves.”
BAXI Manresa Captain Guillem Jou:
“This is our first time in the Final Four. The air in the dressing room is positive. We will try to stay calm and play well. I hope we play well and enjoy the weekend.”
Here is the match schedule for BCL’s Final Four:
6 May, Friday
Hapoel U-NET Holon – Lenovo Tenerife
22.00 CET RIESEN Ludwigsburg – BAXI Manresa
Sunday, May 8
18.00 CET 3rd place match
21.00 CET Finals
