Martin Schiller talks to Lithuanian media for the first time 0

Zalgiris’ new head coach Martin Schiller had his first taste of Lithuanian media, as he held his first press conference in Zalgirio Arena.

The Austrian specialist received questions about additional pressure on the Zalgiris hotseat, especially coming in after fan favorite Sarunas Jasikevicius.

“It probably adds external pressure, because the coach is a legend, especially here. Internally, it really doesn’t because I have to focus on what we’re doing anyhow, what I’m doing. We’ll have challenges ahead of us, so I cannot really think about it.”

The newly appointed strategist also revealed a bit about the negotiations leading up to signing with Zalgiris.

“Zalgiris reached out to me 5-6 weeks ago. They gathered a lot of information about me and my work, and approached me. If a club like Zalgiris calls, you’re not allowed to question it. They asked for an interview first of all, and I thought it went well, the presentation went well. We pursued the next step, okay, let’s do this. Until a contract is signed and done, a couple more days pass and you still have to put some stuff on paper. Then my job was to leave the United States as soon as possible and come here.”

The coach also talked about the team’s roster and coaching staff intricacies, and the upcoming start of the EuroLeague season and the NBA Playoffs.