Panagiotis and Giorgos Angelopoulos on the 6th World Conference of “Gate 7”
The administrative leaders of Olympiacos, Panagiotis and Giorgos Angelopoulos attended the 6th World Conference of “Gate 7” and talked for more than ninety minutes with the fans of the team.
After the end of the meeting, the presidents of the team talked about the team and more…
On their first attendance of the “Gate 7” World Conference and their experience:
Panagiotis Angelopoulos: “Lively, feisty first impressions, it’s nice to be with the fans, Olympiacos cannot exist without them, and we feel good and derive strength from them. So long as they all behave, and we stressed that a lot, properly and let games end without any incidents”.
About the new season and on whether the collaboration with the fans is going to be even better:
Panagiotis Angelopoulos : “It seemed so today».
On the subjects they talked about:
Giorgos Angelopoulos: “We talked in general about Olympiacos, not just for the finals. It was a meeting about all the issues concerning them and us in regard to the team. We exchanged points of view in a very good atmosphere, they understood a lot and we understood a lot as well. This has been very useful. It was a closed door meeting about everything in regard to the team”.
About the negotiations with Hines and the planning of the new season:
Giorgos Angelopoulos: “We talked with Hines, just like we talked with all the players so they know what’s going on. He’s a magnificent player, a magnificent person; we had talked with him about re-adjusting and expanding his contract, just like we had done last season with Printezis. Printezis was liberated after that discussion, made the buzzer beater in Istanbul, he knew what was waiting for him, the contract that was available for him and came to sing with Olympiacos.
The same happened this season with Hines, he got what he had asked for during the season, he did not agree with our proposal, changed agents during the season, and he did not proceed with the agreement, because –and that’s according to what he told us – it wouldn’t be in the benefit of the team if only one player got to agree on a renewal during the season. That means it would probably put burden on Spanoulis, Law, Antic and anyone else who were on expiring contracts. You remember that he left for the States at a point in the season, we asked him to come and talk to us to see if anything was wrong and we got blamed for not calling … Spanoulis to talk with us, because everyone thought the meeting was about the contract.
Imagine what would have happened if it was only Hines who got to renew during the season, only him, what the rest of the players would be saying. And by abiding by this strategy it was that we got our second European title. When the League was over, we met, we gave him everything that he asked for, but he chose something different. We asked him what it was that he wanted in order to stay, we never got an answer, that’s the truth, we wish him all the luck in his new team, he’s a great guy and I don’t think he should be receiving negative criticism. He made a choice, we believe it’s a wrong choice, but that doesn’t mean a thing. I can’t know if he had already chose when he came to talk with us. I’m only saying that he got all that he asked for and even if there was something more that he wanted, we had asked, “just tell us what it is you need”, but he never came up with an answer. That’s what I’m saying, I don’t know if he had already chosen, there are many rumors, but we can’t know for sure to tell you”.
Panagiotis Angelopoulos: “In the past we talked and negotiated with very big NBA names, but also with Greek players and always, whenever we asked how much is it you want to come to the team, even if the demand was crazy, even if it was paranoid, there was always an answer. It’s unheard of for an agent, a player’s representative to be asked twice by the European champion, how much is it you want to stay and never give an answer. That’s what I call suspicious and it is here that I draw the line”.
About the case of Vassilis Spanoulis and whether there is any anxiety since he has the same agent with Hines:
Panagiotis Angelopoulos: “There is no anxiety, the only anxiety is that we are healthy and continue supporting Olympiacos”.
Giorgos Angelopoulos: “I don’t think there should be any anxiety on that matter. There is no connection. Talks haven’t begun yet; I think we are going to begin pretty soon. I think that Vassilis is going to understand that the challenge in his life is the third Euroleague title with Olympiacos, this can neither be bought nor paid for, it’s a one in a life-time deal, he should also realize the financial reality of Greece and from that point on we are going to talk in good spirits as always, I don’t think there is anything else we can do right now. Of course we want him to stay”.
On whether the goal is to maintain the largest proportion of the roster, just like the case was last season:
Panagiotis Angelopoulos: “No, the goal is for the team to become stronger than last season because the Euroleague games are too many. All those are smart, either the ones that were on the team and want to continue with us, players like Law and Shermadini who want them to stay or players that are to join us and are in negotiations with us need to understand that are negotiating to join a team with a specific model, the lowest budget that ever went to two Final Fours and won two Euroleague titles. If they don’t want to be incorporated in this model and think that will be coming here to received added value and secure their future, then they are not coming to fight for the third Euroleague title in a row and can go and play somewhere else”.
Giorgos Angelopoulos: “Printezis also had a very large offer from Turkey last season, but decided to stay with Olympiacos. And the coach, Mr. Bartzokas, who was named the best coach in Europe and we ought to congratulate him on that, it’s a huge achievement, has also had a very big offer from Turkey but both Mr. Bartzokas and Printezis chose to remain here with much less money, for the reasons I think you all understand. From there on, no one can be made to stay nor can you force anyone to play if they don’t want to. Everyone is free to do as pleases”.
On expanding the collaboration with Giorgos Bartzokas a few days ago:
Giorgos Angelopoulos: “The expansion was done in the summer, not during the season. Of course there is trust in him. What we achieved with a second European title in a row is a huge success. There is absolute trust and support”.