Failed EuroLeague opener for Monaco, who woke up too late against Sylvain Francisco’s Zalgiris
Oct 1, 2025
Tom Compayrot
« We were very bad everywhere »: Spanoulis very angry after Monaco’s first failed outing
EuroLeague - Monaco fell at home in their EuroLeague opener against Kaunas. After the game, coach Vassilis Spanoulis didn't mince his words, pointing to insufficient mentality and defense.
Photo Credit : Miko Missana
Monaco hoped to start their EuroLeague season well this Wednesday night at home, but Elie Okobo and teammates were surprised by Zalgiris Kaunas (84-89). Defeated in front of their home crowd, they particularly worried with their attitude, which their coach Vassilis Spanoulis immediately pointed out.
« We didn’t deserve to win »
The Greek icon, who joined Monaco’s bench this summer, didn’t look for excuses. « We didn’t deserve to win, we were very bad everywhere. Very bad mindset, very bad approach to the game. We didn’t make fouls, we didn’t defend. We were late on every rotation. We need to work, » he told the press after the game.
In the press conference, he continued in the same vein: « It was the first game of the season and we were very bad. We only defended for a few minutes. And when you don’t defend, you can’t win this kind of game. »
A late surge
True, the Roca Team tried to react in the last quarter, but it wasn’t enough. Again, Spanoulis reminded of the high-level requirements: « Yes, I agree, we reacted, but too late. We need to start the game like that. In EuroLeague, every game counts, every game is difficult. If we don’t have the right approach, we’ll have problems. We need to play with more urgency. »
A clear warning for the Monaco players, who are expected to show a more conquering face in their next outing this Friday against Dubai.
Gabriel Pantel-Jouve est le fondateur et rédacteur en chef de BeBasket, qu’il anime depuis 2010 (sous le nom de Catch & Shoot). Passé par l’Ecole Publique de Journaliste de Tours, puis deux universités en Amérique du Nord, il a pu développer son expertise sur le basket français, de la Ligue Nationale aux divisions amateurs, durant ces 20 dernières années. En parallèle, il est aussi engagé dans le développement de clubs du côté de Montpellier.
Commentaires