Venice: Spahija stands tall and talks about his future

Reyer Venezia coach Neven Spahija feels nothing but pride after the loss to Olimpia Milano in the championship final: “Congratulations to them and congratulations to my team, which made it all the way despite the difficulties. There was a difference in quality and bench depth; you could tell RJ Cole wasn’t at his best, but he played with great heart. Congratulations to our fans—they were extraordinary.”

The overall assessment is very positive: “I think we had a good season. We didn’t win a title, but it’s not easy: there are two top-tier teams in Italy; reaching the final is an achievement, and winning isn’t easy. We gave it our best shot. Now we’ll take some time off, look ahead to the future, and try to put this loss behind us. During the playoffs, the fans really stepped up—they’re a big part of this success.”

“I’m proud of the basketball we played. My players are the best in the world. I couldn’t be prouder of them: we made it to the league championship final, and we had more wins than ever before in the EuroCup.”

On his contract extension for next season: “It doesn’t feel right to talk about this; it would be selfish. We lost a final. And it’s painful every time. Thinking only of oneself isn’t right, and I think that’s a question for the general manager and the president. Right now, it doesn’t make sense to talk about this.”