By Michalis Gioulenoglou/ info@eurohoops.net
Nikola Milutinov greeted several familiar faces — many of them fellow Serbians — shortly after Olympiacos finished its practice session on Saturday. He had a smile and a quick hello for everyone, despite the magnitude of the moment.
Just one day before the EuroLeague final.
And waiting on the other side is Real Madrid — the team that has so often stood in Olympiacos’ way on the biggest stage.
A few hours earlier, Olympiacos head coach Georgios Bartzokas admitted he would have liked to attend the nearby Iron Maiden concert taking place at the OAKA football stadium, only a short distance from the Telekom Center arena that will host Sunday’s final.
Milutinov, however, does not exactly share his coach’s view. In his mind, there is room only for the final. And the trophy. No concerts.
“I don’t want to go to any concert,” Milutinov told Eurohoops with a laugh. “I just want to win tomorrow’s game.”
Milutinov was asked what the first thing on his mind was when he woke up on the morning before the EuroLeague final.
“To go to breakfast,” Milutinov said with a smile. “No, honestly, I was thinking about this Final Four for several days already. I want to have only this on my mind, to stay focused, to play as well as I can, to bring the energy and physicality that’s needed, because that’s what the Final Four requires. That’s the only thing I’m thinking about — trying to do the best I can, resting and playing the best basketball possible.”
He was also asked whether preparing for a Final Four and a championship game feels different compared to any other game.
“Maybe this Final Four is different from the others,” Milutinov explained. “I started preparing myself from the moment we finished the playoff series. I’m trying to focus only on what is happening, on what’s ahead of me, and I’m trying to visualize what is going to happen.”
Milutinov also spoke about the atmosphere Olympiacos experienced at OAKA during the semifinal and what he expects in the final against Real Madrid.
“It was unbelievable,” he said. “Especially in this arena, the atmosphere is unique. The support we received made our job on the court easier. I hope there will be even more fans in the final and that we’ll play even better basketball.”
Finally, Milutinov was asked the classic pre-final hypothetical question: if he could lock one Real Madrid player in the locker room and keep him from playing, who would he choose?
“The only thing I can say about Real Madrid is that they are used to dealing with problems and absences,” Milutinov answered. “They still manage to win games and they know what they need to do to cover for missing players. We can’t ‘lock up’ anyone. They are a great team with a lot of quality, and we have to be ready for everything.”
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