Bartzokas: "It's a somber day for our country"

Olympiacos secured an away win in Bologna, but everyone’s thoughts were on the somber anniversary marking two years since the tragic train collision in Tempi.

"Before I talk about the game, allow me to mention that today is a very sad day in my country," said Olympiacos coach Giorgos Bartzokas. "It’s been two years since the tragic crash of two trains, which resulted in the loss of 57 lives. It's truly a sad day. Perhaps you saw what happened today in Greece, where people took to the streets in large numbers to remember the victims. I wanted to mention this because it is a very important day for our country."

As for the game, he commented: "We were solid for three quarters, except for the third, where our players probably thought that, somehow, we would maintain control and easily reach the win because we had a 25-point lead at halftime. Of course, Virtus played with pride, they were aggressive, and won the third quarter. For the rest of the game, we were solid defensively and offensively, with 26 assists and I think 14 more rebounds than our opponents. We tried to use all our players. Good luck to Virtus and coach Ivanovic. I wish them all the best going forward."

In response to a question about Peters, who saw his playing time decrease after an excellent season last year, he said: "First of all, I appreciate his work ethic. There is not a day that he didn’t train with 100% effort and a desire to improve. On the one hand, it’s a problem for me because Alec is a great player. However, we also have the EuroLeague MVP, Sasha Vezenkov. So, on one hand, it’s a... headache, but on the other, we have huge potential at the forward positions. Sometimes, having so many games in a season gives everyone the opportunity to fulfill their role and showcase their abilities."