The Roca Team, with 15 victories and 10 defeats, finds itself ejected from the top 6 qualifying directly for the quarter-finals.
Monaco, plunged into a serious financial crisis deplored by coach Vasilis Spanoulis, was beaten at the last minute by the Italians Virtus Bologna 84-82 on Friday evening during the 25th day of the Euroleague, suffering its third defeat in a row in the competition. The Roca Team failed to break the negative series started against Red Star Belgrade and Real Madrid. With 15 victories and 10 defeats, it found itself ejected from the Top 6, qualifying directly for the quarter-finals, before going to challenge Zalgiris Kaunas on February 3 then Bayern Munich on the 5th.
“We have to react, but the problem is everything that happened around the club”said coach Vasilis Spanoulis after the match, referring to the club’s financial problems. “The players read everything,” he said. Everyone is on social media. And for me it’s not easy to always explain what’s happening. This situation must be resolved by those who must resolve it.”
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The Monegasque authorities are working on a rapid recovery of the club, which is financially exhausted. The National Basketball League (LNB) announced in the afternoon the postponement until February 5 of the club’s hearing before the National Directorate of Management Consulting and Control (DNCCG), “awaiting ongoing discussions” with the Monegasque government. Aleksej Fedoriscev, still president, and his general manager, Oleksiy Yefimov, were present in the Gaston-Médecin room.
“What is happening disturbs the mind”
“It’s not my job to discuss this situation with the president,” Spanoulis retorted. My job is to prepare the team for matches. But it has to end because it’s not normal.” In turn, the Greek technician complained of an undersized squad to hope to win. “We only have 12 players,” he explained. All the teams have 17, 18. We can’t even train. The same players always play”.
“No one knows what happened with Cory Joseph (he signed with Oympiakos, Editor’s note). Makoundou has been injured for two months. Where do we see this in Europe? Nowhere! It’s not easy for these guys to play nine months and be consistent and focused.”he added. After having a ten-point lead (36-26, 13th) and leading at the break (51-44), his men gave up in the last quarter, where they conceded a gap of eleven units (66-77, 35th), before coming back close.
Author of a three-point shot which put Monaco back in front (82-81, 39th), Mike James shot too quickly during the last possession, poorly managed. This allowed Bologna, where Derek Alston Jr. caught fire in the first half (18 points and 3 rebounds), to score the winning basket by Luca Vildoza (84-82). If he assures “do not be afraid for the future”Spanoulis is no less upset.
“I haven’t spoken until now, and I don’t because we lost, but I can’t stay out of what’s happening,” he concluded. I am proud of my team, of my players. But we have to find a solution and nothing outside of basketball disturbs our minds. Because it’s obvious that what’s happening is messing with our minds.”
