Bartzokas: “With 13 cases, it would be absurd if the team remained at a high level”

The new EuroLeague Devil’s Week is one of the most demanding for Olympiakos as it will see back-to-back away games against Real Madrid and Baskonia. The Red and Whites set out for the Spanish doubles on the afternoon of February 1st without Giannoulis Larentzakis and Quincy Eisi.

Before boarding the plane, the first thing George Bartzokas was asked was if his team was ready for the two games on Spanish soil, to which he replied that “only my teammates prepared for the second game” to continue:

“The whole team has prepared for the first game, this one against Real Madrid. And that’s what we’re going to focus on to play well. Only those who play well can win. It is not easy. Real lost in the Spanish league and it’s very difficult to lose for the second time in a row. So to take our chances we have to play a really good game and do everything we set out to do to a high degree.“.

Referring to what he attributes to the team’s declining performance, he said: “I’m not saying this as an excuse, but in the last month thirteen players have fallen ill. How it goes? Then it reaches the limits of the miracle that the team can continue to remain at a high level. It would be absurd, it would be something abnormal“.

Finally, when asked how he and his players are coping with the “crisis”, he replied: “The EuroLeague is such that there is no special management, neither in defeats nor in wins. What you do is see what you did well and what you didn’t do well and move on to the next game. Now if some players have a drop in form or the whole team isn’t playing so well because of Covid, that’s a fact. But no team will play as well at the same level from the beginning to the end of the year. All teams will pass belly. We have a time ahead of us to return to and make good again. We have the Greek Cup Final Four ahead of us and very important games for the Euroleague but also for the Greek Championship. Through work and all together we will be successful“.

Dorsey: “Finding Our Way”

For his part, Tyler Dorsey remarked: “I think we haven’t been in good form lately. We’ve lost the last three Euroleague games so it’s important in these two weeks to be positive and get a win that gives the team energy again. I believe that the goal is to find a way to win and get back on track with whatever happens“.

When asked if he could find any excuses for Olympiacos’ poor playing condition in recent games, he replied: “I don’t like to look for excuses. We had Covid cases but all teams had them so at the end of the day it’s important to prepare better and work harder. The season is definitely great, the teams are tired, but we have to overcome the situation we are in and find our way. A match can get us back on track, so we’ll try“.