Ainars BAGATSKIS: “We should have been in the quarterfinals”

Ainars Bagatskis said that the Blue-Yellows, in his opinion, did not show their full maximum during the European Championships. Based on this, the coach of the Ukrainian team was not satisfied with the performance of the team.

Recall that the Ukrainian team finished the fight in the tournament and lost to the Polish team in the 1/8 final match – 86:94.

– I am not satisfied with the result. I don’t want to say where we should be, but I got the impression that we added quality in every game. At the same time, there was no sign of underestimating the Polish team. This is a good team whose players represent the strongest leagues. You have to go to each match as before, but with the desire to do better. I think we definitely could have played better.

– The national team waited for Mikhailyuk and Lenya for a long time. What are your impressions of working with them?

– I was happy to work with them, there were no problems with communication or attitude. As coaches, we found a common language with the players. Of course, there was not enough time to establish mutual understanding between the players. Also, it is difficult for any low-playing player to find a game rhythm. This affects the quality of basketball. Of course, they know all the guys, played with many of them, but a lot of time has passed. Overall we had a very good microclimate and team relations. Everyone worked hard.

In all teams with NBA players, you can immediately see what kind of relationships are in the team, how the coach controls these players. I can’t say there is any problem with it. Unfortunately, now they are very upset like all of us. We all hoped for the best, because we gave ourselves reason to hope that it might be better for us to move on to the next round. Many coaches told me not to be upset because this is basketball. But that’s just an excuse. Yes, we played well, but we should have been in the quarterfinals, – agreed Ainars Bagatskis.

Earlier, Bagatskis shared his plans for his future as the head of the Ukrainian national team.