Players and coaches react to the Final Round draw

VALENCIA (Spain) - With the draw for the Final Round of the FIBA Women's EuroBasket 2021 complete, coaches and players have been giving their reactions as the countdown truly begins to the flagship event.

Pitched into Group C with Belgium, Bosnia and Herzegovina and Turkey, Slovenia will be looking towards a first ever Quarter-Finals slot as they prepare for a third straight appearance having debuted back in 2017.

"We landed in a very even group," stated ZVVZ USK Praha guard, Teja Oblak.

"I'm glad we got Belgium from the first pot, which may suit us the best in terms of style of play. We met Turkey at the last Final Round and we know them, while Bosnia and Herzegovina put together a very good team in the Qualifiers.

"The small details will decide. We want to take a step forward compared to the last tournament and I think this group allows us to do that. I can't wait for the national team to come together and start this FIBA Women's EuroBasket project," she added.

At the last edition in 2019, Marco Crespi was holding the Italian coaching reins, but this time he will be at the helm of Sweden, who will compete in Group A against Belarus, Slovakia and co-hosts Spain.

He reacted to the draw by saying: "I have coached in Spain so I may feel more at home there than in France, but the venue is not very important.

"It was a perfectly okay draw, since it could have been better, but also worse. For me, it is not important who we meet in every match, but more about what emotions we have when we play. This is something I try to convey to the players when we talk.

"I believe in us and I am proud to be part of the Swedish national team program. It is up to us to focus on our game, to have the right feeling during training and matches and be well prepared," insisted Crespi.

Spain themselves will be expected to make a push for ther title as the reigning champions from the past two editions as they hunt for three in a row.

"The objective is to try to be first in the group to have a good quarter-final crossing, which is perhaps the most important match of the whole championship," stated head coach, Lucas Mondelo.

"We want to enjoy this very special Eurobasket and this beautiful summer that we have had to really live. .

"The first game is always the most difficult and Belarus has players of undeniable quality, while Sweden are an old acquaintance and a team that you have to respect a lot because they always cause problems. Lately we are beating him, so we hope the streak continues. Slovakia also have highly contrasted players at the international level. Perhaps they are the most dispensable rival of the three, but you have to respect everyone ”

Meanwhile Marina Maljkovic guided Serbia to their first ever FIBA Women's EuroBasket Women title six years ago, plus a bronze medal at the last edition on home soil. The play-caller was quick to point out that she will concentrating on what her own team will be capable of in Group B, rather than their opponents - Greece, Italy and Montenegro.

She declared: "I never give importance to the draw, because these are things that are not in our hands. My focus is that what we can control is always done as well as possible. The group in which we will compete is neither the most difficult, nor the easiest.

"Italy is a typical example of a team that can be difficult and unpleasant to play against, which knows how to punish every mistake. Montenegro, with its new coach (Jelena Skerovic) who is a former basketball player, represents new energy and is adorned with great fighting spirit. While the Greek national team may be a little weaker on paper than it was in previous years, it has extremely talented and combative young players."

Finally, co-hosts France will be one of the frontrunners due to home advantage, the fact they have made the last four Finals and have a great roster. Their group includes Croatia, Czech Republic and Russia. 

“We will take the matches one by one to finish the best placed in Group D," declared head coach Valerie Garnier. 

"We have very strong ambitions as we want to go to the end, but other teams like Belgium, Serbia or Spain will have the same ambition as us. 

"Our group seems rather favorable, but we will cross with very strong teams, some of which have already beaten us. To be successful at this FIBA Women's EuroBasket, it will be necessary to adapt to the situation.  Either way, we all hope to have the crowd we know when we play at home, " concluded the play-caller.

FIBA