Pablo Laso, the FC Bayern Munich coach, was brought to tears by the overwhelming applause from his beloved Real Madrid fans. Griffing the Madrid stage once more as an opponent's head coach, Laso reminisced on his successful time with the club. He led Real Madrid to triumph in two Euroleague titles (2015, 2018) and six championships between 2011 and 2022.
Acknowledging his emotional welcome, Laso shared, "The applause for me before the game was quite moving, and I'm sure it's an experience I'll remember for many years to come." Although he yearned for the applause to commemorate an away win, Real Madrid ultimately proved too formidable, with Bayern losing by a considerable margin (73:88).
Despite this setback, Bayern now gears up for their Bundesliga match against ratiopharm Ulm on Sunday. Notably, the loss to Real Madrid left Bayern with a mid-table placement in the Euroleague (six victories, eight defeats). Soon after, the team's best scorer, Isaac Bonga, commented, "It was a challenging game against the Euroleague champions. We faced some moments where our rhythm fluctuated, allowing a team of this caliber to capitalize."
Laso's squad struggled in the initial stages, attaining their first points through Bonga only after three minutes. By the 10th minute, Munich narrowly led by four points (23:19). However, Real Madrid's title-winning form soon took control, and the game swung decisively in their favor by halftime (37:42).
Disappointed by their performance in Munich, Laso acknowledged that Real Madrid's ferocious competitive nature made them punishing of mistakes. "While our errors were few, they were monetized enough to seal the game in their favor," he said. Despite these challenges, the team promises to regroup and deliver a strong performance in their upcoming encounters.
