By Giorgos Adamopoulos/ info@eurohoops.net
Proud of his spot in the ‘best basketball show in Europe’, Andrea Trinchieri talked to Eurohoops about his relationship with Giorgos Bartzokas.
The Italian tactician is preparing to Bartzokas in Round 2 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season. Before Zalgiris takes on the Reds in the Peace and Friendship Stadium on Friday evening, he recalled a previous encounter with Bartzokas in SEF.
“They were killing me, killing us. I turned to my assistant and said, ‘Man, they are playing like Brazil [national football team] in 1970. The best basketball ever. The ball never on the floor, always in the air,” he told Eurohoops, “It was like an orchestra.”
“Every week you are going to face a big coach. Every week you are going to face a big player or more than one. Every week you are going to face a great team,” he continued describing the grueling schedule of Europe’s premier club continental competition, “It will be a battle but in a positive way.”
In Round 1 of the Regular Season, Trinchieri guided the Kaunas outfit to a home win against FC Barcelona. On the other end, the Reds fell to Fenerbahce Beko in Istanbul.
“I do not want to reduce this to me against him,” the head coach of Zalgiris referred to the next meeting with Bartzokas, “I feel that I am very blessed because I have very good tickets for the best basketball show in Europe.”