COLOGNE — Aris Barkas / barkas@eurohoops.net
Sergio Rodriguez finished his Final Four run with Olimpia Milan as the second passer in the all-time list of assists with 56, only behind legendary Theodoros Papaloukas.
With Milan back in the Final Four for the first time in modern EuroLeague history, Rodriguez shared his feelings about the experience with Eurohoops after the third-place game in which Milan beat CSKA to end the season on a positive note.
“When you come to the Final Four, the only goal you want to reach is winning the title. When you don’t get this, it’s really frustrating. When you lose the final, you feel that you were short. On the other hand, I’m proud to have been here many times and hopefully, I can get back next year”, tells Chacho.
Despite being eliminated from the final with a heart-breaking shot at the final buzzer, Rodriguez says the team has to use this experience and turn the negative feelings into lessons for the future of Milan.
“This frustration that we have now, we have to turn into motivation. I’ve done this twice with Real Madrid and CSKA, I didn’t win the first time I reached the Final Four. I worked hard to get back the following year and win it.”
“If you look at the players that we have, the coach that we have, the environment we have in Milan, we put together a group of things that will work in the future. We have to feel good about the future in Milano. We have to win the LegaBasket this season, this was a big goal for us from the beginning and we have to understand that Milano will be in the top for the next years. We have the responsibility to hold that and fight for that”.
Photo: EuroLeague