«We are proud!»
The Presidents of Olympiacos BC, Giorgos and Panagiotis Angelopoulos, voiced how proud they feel following the qualification to the upcoming Final Four in Belgrade.
“We usually talk towards the end of the season, usually following success”, Panagiotis Angelopoulos commented and went on as follows: “We want to congratulate the team, the coach, the players, the staff, the whole organization of Olympiacos’. In one of the most competitive Euroleague seasons, with a lot of difficulties, we succeeded in finishing second in the regular season and qualify to the Final Four. This is success in itself. You know us though, you know that this doesn’t mean we are not hungry anymore. We have embraced the philosophy as well, so we are only talking about Efes from now on. The team is going to prepare for this game and we, on our part, are going to prepare to help as many fans as possible to go to Belgrade with the tickets allocated. We have seen that in France as well, Monaco is the most athletic team amongst the top eight. They pushed us to our limits. Even tonight, 1:30’’ before the end and we still didn’t know if we were going to the Final Four or not. It’s one of the toughest qualifications we have secured. Let me also point out that since 2009 when we took the team over, this is the seventh such qualification in thirteen seasons, given that the 2019-20 season was not concluded. I think this is a historic achievement, taking also into account our budget and all our coaches and players. Apart from CSKA and Real that have the most participations, for us to have made seven out of thirteen final fours, is an achievement that even we haven’t quite come to terms with yet. We have gone through a rough two years period, that had to happen though, and I’m talking about the fact that we were not participating the Greek League so that things could change. It was a tough decision but we are always keep saying it, we are proud to have made it. We are happy to go to the Final Four. We haven’t been there since 2017. I believe that the fans and the whole of Greece are happy about it. The messages we have received are mind-blowing”.
On his part, Giorgos Angelopoulos commented: “We are proud for what we achieved tonight. It’s one of the most monumental moments in the history of Olympiacos. It’s not just the Final Four, a lot has happened during the last few years. The last five years have been very hard. A lot has transpired. We made a historic decisions to have the revolution our way, without begging for help from anyone, without attacking anyone. It has been the best decision we have made all these years we are with Olympiacos. We succeeded against everyone and everything. We don’t need to talk about it, you all know what has gone down. Tonight’s game could have been a final. It was an heart-stopping game against an amazing team. Monaco could have won. The series has been extraordinary. The level and the evolution of the game could very easily have made for Euroleague’s Final. I think that for us, tonight was the toughest game of them all. A burden has lifted. When the season started, the final four had not been the goal. I think we outdreamed our dreams, so from now on, only better things can come. I would like to sincerely congratulate the coach, because he has genuinely put his brand on the team. He deserved this as an individual as well. Congratulations to all the guys, the whole team. It’s maybe one of the few times the atmosphere in the team is such. It’s very hard to have such a close-knit team. They are all together, a closed fist, family and we are aiming for better things together”.
Asked about who between the two of them is going to keep the other one grounded, Panagiotis Angelopoulos said: “I said before that we have embraced the coach’s philosophy and we are only focusing on Ataman now. Nothing else”. He went on to comment on the Turkish coach’s statements. “I told our players in the locker room when we were celebrating that what he has said are a gift to us, they can motivate us. I would be worried if hadn’t said anything and kept a low profile”.
About the same question, Giorgos Angelopoulos commented: “Olympiacos is going to the Final Four as the outsider. We have no pressure, nothing to prove. With seven final fours during our time and the way we achieved that, with all teams celebrating our organizations. The opponents come here and congratulate us, there is no doubting, there is acceptance and recognition of the effort we have been making. Also, with the budget we have, which we had also commented on following a final four where we had lost, Olympiacos is a global phenomenon. It has never happened before in the history of sports, for such an extended time period, to achieve so many things with such ‘modest’ financial means. Olympiacos has the lowest budget of all teams and not only of those qualified to the final four. Other teams have three, four or five times our budget, but you see what happened tonight. I think there are no words”.
Panagiotis Angelopoulos once again picked up the baton, to stress that … “Misic and Larkin cost about seven million together. The burden is on them. They are both incredible players, but it’s good to have such fine opponents, just like tonight. That’s what motivates us and excites the whole organization and the whole team. They are the reigning European Champions and it’s only logical that they want to repeat it. Let’s remind everyone that it’s only us to have made the repeat in 2013”.
On whether they repeat that the final four venue is going to be friendlier than in the past, Panagiotis Angelopoulos said: “We have played a final four in 2010 in Paris with 8,500 Olympiacos fans by our side. Let’s remind that. Belgrade has been a recent months’ development, it was scheduled to take place in Berlin. It’s a good thing… It’s 500 km far from Thessaloniki …”
For Giorgos Angelopoulos to add … “In 2015 we lost the final to Real, in 2017 in Instabul to Fener… One strike, two strikes, I think something good is coming our way”
Asked whether this has been the series they have enjoyed the most up to now, Panagiotis Angelopoulos made clear: “I think that other series have had a much heavier psychological burden. The 2017 one when we were down 2-1 and had to tie to 2-2 had been more difficult, as in 2013, the way 2-2 happened. However, all the series have suspense. The game is more athletic… I don’t know, how many French players play for Monaco? It’s a very good group of Americans and foreigners, an amazing group. We have to congratulate Monaco that has made it up to here in their first Euroleague participation. What they have done is not easy”.