On the eve of the Eurocuo match against Ulm, the Germani coach recounts how the team is ready to react: “The biggest mistake would be to look for the culprit away from your own shoes. We have to defend with outs and helping the teammate who is being beaten”
San Zeno. Presentation of the match against Ulm in a press conference in the presence of sponsor Geiger.
The general manager Marco De Benedetto opened the conversation: “The ticketing policy of Pallacanestro Brescia is competitive with respect to the other Eurocup clubs, we are proud to be part of this competition, now we want to reward our fans even with better performances than at the last”.
It was then Alessandro Magro’s turn: “Thanks also to the sponsors we are working to the best of our possibilities, we want to honor those who support us match after match. My responsibility is to make the team play with intensity and dedication, the same as the sponsors and the fans. We are aware that we are not in line with the results we set ourselves, after the defeat against Treviso there was a confrontation within the team as it should be in these moments. I feel the responsibility to lead this team to make them show an even greater self-sacrifice than we have seen so far. In the first leg against Ulm we won in an exciting way after extra time, which we grabbed with a last throw-in, the one which, as we all know, didn’t tell us well against Treviso”.
What team is Ulm?
“They have two points more than us, but we won in the first leg so we want to catch up with them and beat them 2-0. Compared to the other match against us, they put in Paul and Caboclo who brought great impact and more versatility. They are the second best team in the group for points scored and 3-pointers made. Klepeisz, Paul and Christen are three specialists who know how to hit from long range. Nunez and Zugic took part in the last Under 20 European Championship where I was also with Italy. I expect a game of important defensive application to avoid the raids of Yago Dos Santos and Jallow on the counterattack. Ulm plays well with penetrations and unloads to then shoot from 3, we have shown that we have shortcomings in one-on-one situations and in protecting the area, we are working on that to improve, out of respect for the fans and those who put us in a position to work at your best. I expect a lot of energy to catch up and overtake Ulm in the standings. The last two training sessions after the confrontation were among the best of the season.”
How is the morale instead?
“The morale after the match against Treviso was certainly not the best possible in the team and also for me. There is no coach who cares about doing well in Brescia like me, even for reasons that you well know or personal ones. We had to take the game home, if we had won it we would have had two points more which would not have given weight to the performance as we have all given now. If we have the right intelligence to understand what went wrong, then the confrontation we had, like we had one last year, will have been important. After this confrontation morale is back high. We have to bring what we did in training into the game.”
What are the real problems of this team? The substance under the boards? The management of the last balls?
“When things don’t go well it’s because there are more problems, offensive and defensive. Sometimes when you make many victories, some even pass for better than they are, but the opposite can also happen. The biggest mistake is making excuses, the culprit farthest from your shoes. We all have to think about what we can do better to help the team. Competitive teams are the ones that defend better, this is how we built our victories last year. We have to cut out, help our partner when he is beaten. The break with Treviso was made on the counterattack after excellent defenses. I don’t necessarily like playing on the 24th minute, but if one doesn’t have an open shot you have to keep sharing the ball to get an advantage. The player who is in the best condition must shoot, regardless of the name on his shirt.
