FCBARCELONA.CAT

28.01.2010 23:39

“We are pleased with the first win”

Sònia de Alba

The response to the game with Maroussi was positive, as Regal Barça got off to a winning start in the Top 16. Both Xavi Pascual and his team were delighted to win 79-69.

“It is always tough to start against a side you theoretically can’t afford to lose to. So we are happy to start with a win in the Top 16” said Regal Barça head coach Xavi Pascual. He and the players admitted they did make mistakes, but the important thing was securing a win.

Xavi Pascual, coach of Regal FC Barcelona

“We got off to a solid start. We didn’t wanted things to move too fast, but rather to control the game and find their weak spots. But in the second half we struggled to defend against the pick-and-roll. We were too slow and lacked intensity in defence, but reacted in the right way. In the third and fourth periods we could have sealed the game but the defence was uncomfortable”.

“There are high expectations for games like this. It was hard for us today, but like on other occasions we overcame those difficulties”.

“Both Partizan and Maroussi have character. The second game in Belgrade will be important for the group. If we beat Partizan it’ll be a huge step forward”.

Juan Carlos Navarro

“It isn’t easy to start the Top 16 at home. We started well but then lived off that lead. It certainly wasn’t a good game, but the important thing was winning”.

“We can’t lose our concentration at this stage. We must remember that every point is important because we should have won by more today”.

Boniface Ndong

“Maroussi have come into the Top 16 playing well, we knew it’d be a tough game. But none of us can be too happy with how we played. We have to enjoy the win, but there is some hard work to do”.

“We played slowly because teams tend to slow down our game. If we play at 100%, we have strong bench and can tire teams out, so we should try to impose our game”.

“We could speak a lot about the mistakes, but also about the win. If you do things right, and lose, it matters for nothing. We should be pleased we won and now think about correcting errors”.

Roger Grimau

“Everybody assumed we’d win, but in the Top 16 you can take nothing for granted and I knew this group would be difficult”.

“We should be pleased and realise the things we got wrong, but winning any game in the Top 16 deserves merit”.