The coach of Panathinaikos, Dusko Ivanovic said after the match against EA7 Emporio Milan:
“It was an important game in our group, in which every team can beat every opponent. Winning at home always gives you a big advantage. I am very happy with the intensity we started the game and we kept it for until the end. EA7 Emporio Milan is experienced and has good players, but we didn't allow them to play their game. I am also impressed by our fans, who support the team and make the players overpass their limits. I have to say that I have very good players, who are good persons as well. Their biggest asset is that they understand the game and are very ambitious. Either in sports or in life, you can only succeed if you are dedicated and have the ambition to improve every day”
From the other side Luca Banchi, noted: "Congratulations to Panathinaikos for their victory. Tonight we saw another great game by their side, while on the contrary, we didn't resist against their pressure on both ends of the floor. We came back in the second period, but then they soared up once again and it was very difficult for us to remain competitive. It is time to improve our performance and fight for 40 minutes. We have a very good team, but we have to show who we are in the road games. Last season, we made it to the playoffs, although a lot of people didn't give us that credit after the loss to Panathinaikos in the Top 16 opener. We tried to prepare our players to withstand on such tough court, but it didn't work. They played an incredible game and confirmed our fears. Panathinaikos makes some very simple things, but those simple things are very important in a game. And when you have a player like Diamantidis, everything becomes easier."
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