Summary of Monaco's loss to Strasbourg in the French league (from YouTube)
Maccabi Tel Aviv continues preparations for the first game in the playoff quarter-final series against Monaco this coming Tuesday, and it seems that its players are quite excited about the challenge.
Last night (Saturday) an interview with Bonzie Coulson was published on the "Basketnews" website, and the forward sounds quite optimistic.
He opened the interview with very warm words about Oded Ketch.
"I love him, because he brings a different dynamic to the game. He intervenes only if necessary. Sometimes he stops training to explain to us where he wants each player to stand within his system, but he is not too intrusive," explains Coulson.
"He earned the respect and trust of all of us, not only thanks to his coaching abilities, but also thanks to his past as a player. I watched a lot of videos on YouTube from the days when he was a player, it's a shame that he got injured and had to retire early."
The players believe in him.
Ketch (Photo: Danny Maron)
Coulson is not stressed by the expectations and pressure at Maccabi Tel Aviv, which have only increased following the success this season.
"I felt it from the moment I landed in Tel Aviv - both the management, the fans, and the atmosphere around them, everyone has very high demands, and everyone says that the club must not be left out of the Final Four again. Personally, all this pressure does not bother me. I am happy to be part of a club with Such a high bar, I am committed to helping Maccabi return the crown to its former glory."
Coulson explains that "although we were built as a completely new team, and although we needed some time to build the chemistry in the team, we are in very, very good momentum, we finished the regular season in the Euroleague in good shape, and we want to continue like this."
When asked to bet on the final four, he answered without hesitation: "Olympiakos, Real Madrid, Barcelona and Maccabi Tel Aviv."
sport
basketball
Euroleague and European basketball
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Maccabi Tel Aviv in basketball
Bonzie Coulson
Oded Ketch