« A real mental and physical challenge »: Tired Monaco starts its semifinal at ASVEL

AS Monaco Basket faces ASVEL this Tuesday evening to begin their Betclic ELITE playoff semifinals. Just nine days after the EuroLeague final in Abu Dhabi, following a three-game quarterfinal against Le Mans, the Principality club must get back to work in a demanding context. Coach Vassilis Spanoulis and center Mouhammadou Jaiteh shared their thoughts on this difficult situation.

Since returning from the Final Four in Abu Dhabi, where Monaco lost in the EuroLeague final, the Principality club has had no rest. Vassilis Spanoulis, who has just recently taken charge of the Roca Team, doesn’t hide his frustration: « I’m not the one making the schedule. It’s impossible to play so many games throughout a season. […] There’s no training, just games. »

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This situation has direct consequences on the players’ level of engagement: « Afterward, it’s normal to collapse mentally, to be tired. They can’t play like the fans want, like the coaches want, like they themselves want. »

For this matchup against ASVEL, Monaco cannot afford any mistakes. « Both teams know each other, there aren’t many secrets, » admitted Spanoulis, well aware of the challenging task ahead at the Astroballe for this double confrontation.

Jaiteh: « A real mental and physical challenge »

For his part, Mam Jaiteh well summarizes the weariness affecting the team: « We’ve gone almost all the way in every competition, EuroLeague final, Leaders Cup final, Cup semifinal. But this time we want a trophy. » For the center, this series against ASVEL is a kind of last stand: « These playoffs for us this year represent a real mental and physical challenge. […] It’s unfortunate that the French club that reaches the EuroLeague final finds itself playing playoffs under these conditions, » he adds, not to complain but to acknowledge this difficult factor. « It’s not an excuse but everyone needs to understand this context, » he indicates.

In pursuit of a national title to close an already historic season, Monaco will have to overcome this accumulated fatigue. ASVEL, lying in wait, hopes to take advantage of it.