In an interview with CNN Turk, Anadolu Efes head coach Ergin Ataman referred to the team’s plans for the next season as well as the upcoming EuroLeague Final Four semi-final between his team and Fenerbahce.
Here is what the experienced coach said:
On the plans for the 2019/20 season: “Anadolu Efes is working really hard to keep the same roster for next year and keep the momentum and excitement built this season. I think the results of this effort is going to be seen after the Final Four.
The goal is to keep this roster intact and let them be a unit together with our 16 thousand fans we had on the stands for Game 5 versus Barcelona.”
On the semi-final against Fenerbahce (17/05): “Obviously I want Anadolu Efes to be the champion of the 2019 Final Four. But if we can’t get to the final game, I wish Fenerbahçe to be the champion of Europe. After all, one of the two Turkish teams is going to be in the final. I want Turkey to showcase its force in this Final Four.
Our season series with Fenerbahçe is 3-3 right now. In the last 3-4 years, there wasn’t a team that managed to beat them in three different games. I think this matters when you think about the semifinal. They play in a controlled pace, we play uptempo.
We have the power to beat Fenerbahçe, they have the power to stop us from doing so. It is going to be a tremendous game. In my mind, two well-matched opponents are going to be on the court. I believe we can win the EuroLeague.”
