By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
Riga, Latvia – Latvia couldn’t get past Lithuania to reach the 2025 EuroBasket quarterfinals in Riga, marking the end of Luca Banchi’s tenure with the team, as Spanish coach Sito Alonso is set to take over.
The Italian tactician spoke about the Baltic Derby at the Xiaomi Arena, expressing his disappointment with the final outcome.
“Unfortunately, we are very disappointed. The game went in their direction. We came back, but by the end of the first quarter, they had accumulated 10 points and were so good at maintaining that lead throughout the game. With better poise, we could have come back, but that situation created anxiety. We were in a rush, and it wasn’t our best day. What we found on the court is what we expected: Lithuania plays this kind of basketball—intense, physical, very aggressive—and we weren’t as sharp as in other circumstances. We need better control of the game and our emotions to beat such a well-prepared team,” Banchi said at the postgame press conference.
Reflecting on his time with the Latvian national team, which began in 2021, Banchi expressed pride in their achievements.
“A lot of good memories. During these four years, 21 wins in 22 qualification games made this arena an authentic factor. Everybody around Europe enjoyed seeing our team play and our fans cheering. EuroBasket proved that the connection between the team and the fans is amazing.”
He spoke about the personal connection he felt with Latvia.
“I’m very proud. I arrived probably at one of the worst moments for basketball in Latvia, but everything changed fast. I believe the national team belongs to the people. This team shows how you can combine talent and values with a country whose people gave us, and me personally, so much love. From day one, they made me feel part of this community, despite being probably the only foreigner in the entire program. I felt like a Latvian and at home from day one. To leave here is something unique, and this connection will remain no matter what. It’s difficult to describe… The disappointment of the game dominates my thoughts, but what happened in the last five summers is amazing: we brought Latvia to the top of the European basketball power rankings, and with good basketball. That’s why I’m disappointed—we didn’t show our best version tonight.“