Greece struggled against Türkiye in the EuroBasket 2025 semifinal, leaving head coach Vassilis Spanoulis eager to bounce back in Sunday’s bronze medal game against Latvia.
The dominant performance by Türkiye highlighted the areas where Greece fell short, but Spanoulis is focused on preparing his team for one final push.
Reflecting on the semifinal, the Greek coach acknowledged the challenges his team faced.
“I think it was a bad day, it started with Giannis’s missed layups, continued with Osmani’s three-pointers and we conceded a lot of off-ball baskets. Now we look at Sunday’s game. For us it is a final, the biggest game in the last 16 years and we have to win it for our country and the next generations.”
He congratulated Türkiye on their performance while taking responsibility for Greece’s mistakes.
“Congratulations to Turkey, they played better. We played our worst game, with many mistakes, immature mistakes. Our energy and plan were different, we didn’t execute them, but it can happen to anyone. I am proud of my players and we have to focus on the next big game. We are at the end and it is the biggest game for us, so that we can get a medal.”
Spanoulis broke down the reasons behind the loss.
“Turkey made the shots, they have Sengun who can pass well, they have very athletic guards who can play good defense, they have size, their tall guys hedge out well, they close the passing angles and we couldn’t make the quick pass. We held the ball a lot and made a lot of mistakes. They are a very good team, they played much better than us. The entire defensive function was focused on Giannis.
“Giannis Antetokounmpo is a human being, even though he doesn’t do earthly things in this tournament. He is amazing, our leader along with Sloukas and Papanikolaou. I am blessed that we are together and represent our country. He happened to have a bad game, but I believe he will be ready for Sunday.”
Looking ahead to the bronze medal matchup, Spanoulis offered a preview of the challenge Finland will present.
“Finland plays with a lot of energy, they shoot a lot, they move the ball quickly and we have to be ready.”
Finally, he put the semifinal defeat into perspective.
“It is not a disappointment to be in the four best teams in Europe after 16 years. Turkey played better, won and we should have energy for Sunday. This match is a big deal and we are facing a very good team.”
🇬🇷 Vassilis Spanoulis is looking for a bronze medal with Greece #EuroBasket
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) September 12, 2025
🗣️ “The biggest game in the last 16 years”https://t.co/4fuwPpXhm6
