“We needed this victory against Barça after the Cup”

The Real Madrid coach, Chus Mateo, described as “very important” the victory over Barça this Thursday for different reasons, after losing the final of the Copa del Rey and in the final stretch of a very close Euroleague in search of the ‘playoffs’.

“It was a very important game for us, we needed to get this victory at home against Barça after losing the final of the Copa del Rey. An important game at all levels, of feeling confident,” he said at a press conference after 96-91 at the Movistar Arena.

“It has cost us to enter, we have started losing balls. We have been able to return to the game. Barça is a team with a lot of talent. We have done a good second part, we have found the painting, we knew they would return, maybe too soon they have returned, but we have taken a game of character, important, it was for the two teams,” he added.

Therefore, Mateo hoped that the triumph will be a turning point so as not to fail the objective of the playoffs. “Hopefully this is the first step in this good direction in the Final sprint. A very hard calendar comes and we have to be prepared. It is very important to reach ‘playoffs,” he said.

“We see the future knowing that it is a hard calendar that we have, knowing that there are many teams involved, nothing easy. The Euroleague is a tremendous competition that gives a lot of value to what our club has done in previous years. We know that it is a seven -game sprint now and you have to combine two very hard competitions,” he added.

On the other hand, the Madrid coach did not want to give excessive euphoria to the classic. “The classics help to give confidence, but it is not essential. It was very important to win for our situation, because of the equality that exists in the classification. Winning house matches is important. There is a lot of direct confrontation and this was one of them,” he said.

“Each classic, each game must be seen. From this game I will not remember if we play in ‘Playoffs’, each classic is surrounded by a series of circumstances. It is true that we have won the four classics of this year but does not mean anything,” he added.

In addition, Mateo was asked about the minutes of Rathan-Mayes, Usman Garuba and Alberto Abalde. “I need to hook more people in this phase, who adding, I can’t lose cars along the way. I intend that everyone is important, to contribute and that Summe. Garuba has done a good job and I am looking for not to be declined. There will be games for everyone,” he said.

“Alberto is fundamental. How many times have we left Abalde out of rotation. If he has something he has demonstrated. He has fought, the opinion of everyone based on fighting and working has changed. I feel a lot of pride for what I am seeing of Alberto. He deserves it. He has had to fight, he has suffered and placed for him,” he said.

On the other hand, the whites coach said that Gaby Deck will return “relatively soon” but without “forcing”, and explained the feeling that Madrid could not be given dead. “It is the feeling of much of the stands, surely they have a lot of knowledge of what Real Madrid is. If something has shown is that we are fighters, we think that everything can change even if things go wrong,” he ended.