​L. Banchi: “I will always be a real SIG fan”

Luca Banchi : « Again, there are a lot of regrets, but there is also pride in coaching an excellent group of men who have known how to fight in the face of adversity and in the face of, very clearly, treatment that was not equal. But whatever, I’m proud of them!

There were lucky little details for them playing in the end. I am thinking for example of Strazel’s shot before half-time or Matt’s shot at the end of the match. It’s because of this kind of thing that this summer will have a bit of a bitter taste.
But it’s time for me to say thank you to everyone.

First of all to my staff who worked very hard, to my players who did an incredible job. Tonight they offered a new performance that can make SIG Strasbourg fans proud, to have this kind of people even before being players. They did honor to this jersey. I also want to thank President Bellon and Nicola Alberani, who decided in November to make a very sad choice. Indeed, I know how attached they were to what Lassi did for this club. I know making this decision was not easy. Every day I came to the room wanting to defend Lassi’s choices and their work, because I know how much they suffered to make this decision. I hope they are happy in the end with what we have achieved.

The path this season has been tortuous. Finally, we brought the boat back to port. When I think of this team when I took it in hand and when I see that we failed so close to Final 4 in BCL by losing the series against Bonn who won it, and going out in the Playoffs against team that will probably be the winner at the end… We think that this team deserves better than to finish in two matches.

Once again I want to thank the people who chose me to help SIG Strasbourg. I found a SIG Strasbourg which was at its lowest, but we are going to the Playoffs, we have achieved great things, for example, tonight, we are doubling the entries in terms of ticket sales compared to last season against also Monaco. The atmosphere was amazing.

I entered the Rhenus for the first time against Fos and we were like in a refrigerator and the players and the fans saw this Italian coach jumping along his touchline and doing his circus…. And I leave Strasbourg after having left an Italian touch, in an atmosphere of madness as I like and players who fight like never before against anyone against them.

If we have to talk about arbitration; what i want to say is that i am proud of the team. No matter the whistles, we stayed calm and kept playing, never giving up, even when they were bad and always against us. The team has been able to stay stable and strong to do the best job possible. If anyone thinks they can stop me, make me shut my mouth… I’m 57 and I’ve been in basketball for a very long time. I’ve coached in five different countries and believe me I’ve seen the good and the bad and what I’ve seen won’t make me shut my mouth. What I saw looked like some sort of punishment. But I am proud of what we have proven and demonstrated in front of this treatment that we have undergone…. I’m very proud of everyone…very proud.

We faced a Euroleague team that plays very intense, very athletic and they shoot 20 free throws more than us… It’s funny, unreal, maybe sickening, but that doesn’t change my opinion about of my guys and the mission they accomplished this year. All I have to say is: go GIS! I wish you all the best and I tell you: I will always, yes always be a real GIS fan! »

Paul Lacombe : « That’s life, that’s basketball. Basketball is a sport of skill. I hope Matt will make many more baskets like this in his career. It would have been a wonderful story for him and for us, but that’s the way it is. I saw him a little disappointed, but he mustn’t! He hasn’t played for 5 and a half months and what he brought tonight is incredible. In the 3^th quarter-time he helped us when we were at minus five, minus six… He is the one who brings us back. Everything he has given us in all games since he came back is magnificent. We didn’t know what level he was going to be on his return and he almost reached his level at the start of the year. I thank him for that.

Before that, I could not lose the ball for example, we mismanaged the money time and that’s how it is. We spent so much energy… We may have lacked a bit of lucidity, but I’m so proud of everything we were able to do and to be so competitive against Monaco. We lost, not necessarily against better than us tonight, but it’s the game that wants that. You have to put more baskets than the opponent, but hey… We stood up to a Euroleague team. Even if the start of the match hurt us, we came back very well and we even passed. I have no regrets because I am aware of the level opposite and to have held out to the end against them, it is a source of pride. I am honored to have played this kind of match against Monaco.

I’m happy to have brought what I could to the team. Coming here allowed me to get out of the ASVEL slump, where I was no longer used and no longer too involved in the collective and I thank Strasbourg for that. But in all honesty, it was the manager who changed the situation at the club. I don’t really know what happened before with Lassi, but the players were more concerned and it was really Luca who brought this second wind. All the credit for this season goes to him! »