The 2018 EuroLeague Final Four officially started today with the Opening Press Conference that took place at the magnificent Kalemegdan Fortress.

Zalgiris Kaunas coach, Sarunas Jasikevicius and captain Paulius Jankunas, Fenerbahce’s Zeljko Obradovic and Luigi Datome, CSKA Moscow’s Dimitris Itoudis and Sergio Rodriguez, as well as Real Madrid’s Pablo Laso and Rising Star Luka Doncic talked about tomorrow’s extraordinary semi-finals.

The Lithuanian coach mentioned that it will be a very difficult game, as Fenerbahce will be very prepared for the semi-final, but he hopes his squad will play excellent basketball. Coach Jasikevicius added that they should focus on each game separately and go step by step.

For his part, Jankunas said this is a big moment for the Lithuanian basketball, the fans and the team, stating that they will fight until the end to qualify to the Final.

Regarding Fenerbahce, coach Obradovic said he is very happy that he has the opportunity to spend some time with the other head coaches, adding that he is very proud of them, as they did a great job to reach the Final Four.

Datome mentioned it has been a great feeling to be in another Final Four and he is expecting four very exciting games. For him, every ball matters, while the squad will need to be ready and in great shape in order to be victorious.

The Italian forward was very happy for Fenerbahce fans and their confidence and was sure they will be loud and will support them in the semi final, but he asked from the fans to respect each other and create a great atmosphere.

Concerning CSKA Moscow, coach Itoudis said it has been an honour for his team to be in the Final Four, but he was disappointed that Leo Westermann will not play in the Final Four, due to injury. The experienced coach added that his players showed character despite the injuries, while they had a strong belief in what they did and many players stood up and made the difference.

Moreover, Rodriguez told the media that CSKA are ready for the semi final and focused on their target, stating that he will not be affected by the fact that he will face his former team.

For Real Madrid, coach Laso said it has been a very difficult year for them, as they faced many injuries, but many players stepped up eventually and the experienced coach is happy that he will take part in another Final Four.

Last but not least, Rising Star Luka Doncic said it has been great for him to play in Belgrade, adding that they need to be perfect against CSKA Moscow in order to advance to the Championship Game.

*Semi-Final B: Fenerbahce vs Zalgiris: Friday, May 18, 18:00 CET

Semi-Final A: CSKA Moscow vs Real Madrid: Friday, May 18, 21:00 CET