By Nikos Varlas/ varlas@eurohoops.net
One of the few players that isn’t afraid to step up when things get tough is Sergio Rodriguez! Last year’s MVP of the Euroleague season glorifies Spanoulis through Eurohoops.net and promises Real’s fans that the moment has come to win the Euroleague.
The maestro of the Madrilenos spoke to Eurohoops.net after his team’s comfortable win against Fenerbahce, looking forward to the battle with Olympiacos. The player who scored 17 points in the final in London and 21 last year against Maccabi, rejects the title of favourites for Real and stresses the value of consistency. “We are in the final for the third time in a row. It’s a significant achievement that few teams have managed and longevity in sport shows quality. But that’s not enough for us. we’ve lost two finals, we are playing at home, in front of our people and it’s high time we brought the trophy back to Madrid.”
Does he accept the title of favourites for Real? “No, and that doesn’t have anything to do with any media trickery. Olympiacos have gone to three finals in the last four years, they defeated us in 2013, we defeated them last year. They have won two titles. How can you speak of favourites in this pair? This is a battle of giants.”
How does he comment on Olympiacos‘s new upset and Spanoulis’s two last tough shots?
“They’ve done it many times, they are a team that never quits. They have proven that. Just like Spanoulis has proven that he can be the man of the last minute. The truth is that those two last shots were… too tough (laughs).”
How does he explain the Olympiacos phenomenon? “Everyone focuses on the fact that they have a small budget. In basketball terms however, if you put all the pieces together one by one, it makes sense. They have very good chemistry, play tough defense, have the same backbone for years, the have the best defensive player in Europe and they also have Spanoulis, the best player in Europe in recent years.”
Does he believe that Real will make it this time? “We are more prepared than ever. We have the experience of previous finals and we don’t have to think a lot. We have to play our game, to win and get the Cup.”