The Basketball Champions League Final Four is upon us, and the four contenders will do everything they can to lift the weighty trophy. Manresa, Tenerife, Hapoel Holon and Ludwigsburg will fight for the championship title.

One day before the start of the two semi-finals, the team captains and coaches gave statements on the journey to the semi-finals during the press conference.

The statements of those responsible and coaches of the four teams in detail:

Guy Goodeu (Coach Happel Holon)

“In the game against Besiktas in Turkey, we believed we could reach the top.

One game, this one against Besiktas in Turkey, gave us confidence this season. We went step by step throughout the season. And at some point we started thinking that we could do something good. Now that we are here in Bilbao we will try to take the next step.

For me it is important that the team is successful. I came to Hapoel at the end of November when it became concrete. It’s a historic moment for us last four. “Personal achievements are not so much my concern, I push them aside”.

Guy Pnini (Leader Happel Holon)

“We brought a child who lost his father a few days ago because he would like to be here too. The first years at BCL were difficult for us. We didn’t even qualify through the group stage. Last year we achieved our participation in the final 8 it was a big step for us. Now we want to take the next step in one of the biggest scenes in European basketball. Holon is a family. All of us, the management, the fans, the players are all very connected.

So we brought a kid whose father disappeared a few days ago. They all would like to be here, but his father didn’t make it. So we brought this child with us, and we are happy to do something good for this child as well.

If I didn’t have passion, I wouldn’t be here despite my age. We have no pressure for it last four. There’s this pressure that makes things even nicer, but we can do it. We’re here to do something good, so it’s important that we have a good time.”

Chos Vindoretta (Tenerife Coach)

“I couldn’t miss the Final Four, which is taking place at my house. It was an additional gift for me that this event takes place in my native city of Bilbao. It’s the first last four without the involvement of the team that organizes it at its headquarters. I was in the 5th last four until now it was impossible not to be here when it should be in Bilbao.

Like all teams, we are very motivated, but in the first phase our attention is on Hapoel. It’s a team that deserves to be here. This is not the time to look to the past and what happened there. We have to go ahead and see the next opponent. I don’t think we’re favourites. No, we are not favorites. No!”

Marcelino Huerta (Leader of Tenerife)

“I was destined to be with the coach at the Final Four in Bilbao. It was a fantastic year back then when the coach and I were together in the Bilbao team. We had many surprises, we had a great time and fate is now bringing us both back together, together in the same city, to claim something big. In the carriage house.

We have a unique team and a unique opportunity. I hope people will support us in bringing the trophy back to Tenerife.

I remember playing with Tofas and the goal I scored at the end, which qualified us for the Final Four. Basically I wish we never got there because we controlled the game and Tofas made a big comeback. I don’t want to go that far in the Final Four and end up needing a basket to win. If we have the opportunity to be in front of goal, we shouldn’t make the same mistakes and not allow the opponent to come back into the game, and if we don’t come back, we should find the strength like our opponent in Turkey.

We’ve come a long way and there’s nothing more important. This whole feeling is unique. We are ready for a new challenge. If we didn’t have an appetite, we wouldn’t be here despite our age. Every day is a challenge, no matter how old you are. We are here for a reason and I hope we stay longer.

Our coach made it clear, “We’re not favorites.” The term favorite is very relevant in a Final Four. We played in the quarter-finals and everyone called us favourites. The word favorite is only for journalists and the world, not for us.

We are very hungry. From the moment we’ve lost in the last two Final Four, we’ve got an even bigger hunger. We are well prepared and have to give everything. Keeping the same body every year is very good for a team. We got to know each other’s game. We get better every year by adding the missing pieces. Maturity plays a part in helping us improve every year. We have the oldest team in Faunal Four and beyond. We might be missing other things, but we’ve played in teams that have won titles and that gives us experience. “We use the other weapons we have.”

John Patrick (Coach Ludwigsburg)

“We have the support of the entire German basketball community. We are happy to be here. It’s a great experience to play in packed stadiums like Tenerife, Holon, Cluj. We’re in a fantastic environment here in Bilbao and we’re happy to have the support of all the German teams.

Coach Trinkeri said when I wanted him for the series with Barcelona, ​​while we were playing in the series with Cluj, that we represent all of German basketball. The competition is tough everywhere but I have received messages from people who are not part of our team as I gave to my colleague in Ulm about her own European matches. That happens in Germany, we exchange messages with each other. For us, it was like not entering an event until you qualified for the Final Four. “And here we are now for all of German basketball.”

Jonas Wolfart Botermann (Mayor of Ludwigsburg)

“We think we can handle Manresa. We are all happy to be here. Manresa and I have a similar style of play. We are tough, but we also have talented young players. We are confident that we can play against them and we are waiting for the match. That will be interesting “.

Pedro Martinez (Manresa manager)

“We have a very serious motivation. It’s hard to win in this tournament. We are seriously motivated and will see what happens.

Now it’s time to play. We try to get the maximum out of it and don’t dwell on the past or our problems. It doesn’t matter if we’re at our best. “We have to play.”

Guillaume Jou (Manresa Chief)

“Manresa are a team with a great history. It’s our first time in a Final Four. That’s why we’re so excited. I hope we have a great time and combine it with a competitive result.

It’s different from what the team achieved in 1997. Our team has a long history and I hope we can create something similar at European level.

“At the beginning of the season nobody believed us, but we made a great journey and we had the right to be here.”