The day after the defeat against Madrid in the Euroleague semifinal was a very tough one for Barça, who saw how the project led by Jasikevicius stumbled in its third attempt to win the Euroleague after chaining three Final Four. Feeling that a change of cycle is feasible, both in the squad and on the bench, but the situation is not easy in a panorama of budget cuts (to define the amount) caused by the economic moment of the club. Two of the most recognizable figures came out to show their faces after the European elimination. Nikola Mirotic, star and captain of Barça, and Juan Carlos Navarro, Barça legend and current head of the basketball section.
Mirotic claims to be living “a very hard time”. “This is life, it puts you in difficult situations and you have to be strong when things don’t work out.” The Spanish-Montenegrin was questioned about his future, despite the fact that he has another two years left on his contract: “There is a month left in the competition, I have to focus on what remains, do it well and get up quickly as a player and person because I know what I have to do and what is expected of me, even if I couldn’t yesterday. I am going to try to do better, because worse than what has happened is very difficult. My future doesn’t worry me, it never has. When the season is over I’ll be thereThe club knows it and we will talk about what has to be talked about. (…) I am a person who lives day by day. I don’t know what will happen in two months, next year, if I’m going to play the next Final Four. Let’s see how I get up tomorrow, if I’m able to play or not, which I’m going to do, but I mean in general. The way I see life, I can’t think about my future.”
What would you like to do? Answer: “I have a contract, I would like to end up in Barcelona, but We have seen a lot of people, and I am also referring to football, with a contract that has not been able to end. I don’t know, I’m looking forward to being here, to try to fulfill the promise I made when it comes, to do something important, to make people happy. I would like to fulfill the contract, but here it is not very safe.”
The feeling of the Barca captain is “another wasted opportunity” and he promises to continue fighting “despite disappointing a lot of people last night”. “I have been clear and honest and I have assumed my responsibility. Now there is another title … Obviously This isn’t going to fix things much, but we’re not going to let it go away on its own either.”.
After Mirotic, Navarro intervened, already with the squad exercising on the Zalgirio Arena court to prepare for the duel for third place against AS Monaco this Sunday (4:00 p.m., Dazn). Navarro asked “forgiveness to the fans”: “It has been a long and expensive journey and we have not lived up to it. The feelings are bad. there were a lot of nerves, we never caught our game rhythm. It should not be detracted from reaching a Final Four three times in a row, but it is a very tough stick”.
The head of the section repeated that the immediate future involves “getting up to win the League” and that the balance will be made at the end of the season: “In this month and a half we have to be professionals, make more pineapple than ever. It already happened to us last year, it’s sport and it can happen. We thought we were coming at a good timeafter 11 victories in a row and with more experienced players, but we were not up to the task”.
Questioned about the continuity of Jasikevicius on the bench, he stated that the Lithuanian coach is “an option for next season” and explained: “We will talk at the end of the course and see what the feelings are. We have not spoken to any other coaches. We have to get up anyway and not end up like last year. We are working to make the best team possible next year. The club trusts our work, which I think is very good”.
“The second half was horrible, without control, many mistakes against a team that knows how to play right now. Mentally there were more mistakes than tactically, we didn’t control the pace in the second half. It is more mental than tactical, but it is from the coach to the last player. Niko already said it, we have failed. He didn’t play a good game. This can happen and we have to help him, help each other in the face of this final month and then take stock. Niko has a contract, we want the best Niko from tomorrow and he is a professional and it has to be to win this very important League”
“This year we had an extra desire for how we had arrived, more conviction, and in 20 minutes it was gone. It is positive to reach three Final Four in a row, but We are in a club that requires titles. Last year it affected us later for the League and we don’t want it to happen to us again. This year will not be the same”
