By Michalis Gioulenoglou/ info@eurohoops.net
Limassol, Cyprus – Beka Burjanadze was asked in the post-game press conference about the fact that Georgia plays two very crucial Eurobasket games back-to-back with just hours of rest, and he didn’t hold up.
There was already disappointment in Georgia after losing to Italy. Burjanadze also said that the “officiating could be better”; however, he lashed out when he was asked about the schedule.
“From a player standpoint, this should be unacceptable”, Burjanadze said.
“Today we played against Italy, and even if we lost by 16 points, we fought until the last second. Until the last second, we were pressuring them. Tomorrow, you know who we play against? Greece. You know what kind of fight we will have. So the pressure, not only physically but also mentally, is out of this world. If you talk from a business standpoint, from the television rights and all that, I could understand it. But as I player, I can’t”.
Coach Aleksandar Džikić implied that his team will not give its best effort against Greece, aiming for the more crucial game against Bosnia: “People will say it’s for everybody, it’s not just us. Yes, it’s true, but this is not an argument about whether it’s a good decision or not. How are we going to play against Greece? We know why we are here on Cyprus. We are not going for the gold medal; we know what we need to do. So sometimes you have to pick your fights, if you understand me”.
Photo credit: FIBA