THE Daniel Hackett talk to Christos Kaouris and his podcast referring to the special relationship he developed with Olympiakos and its fans, but also about the “controversy” with Nikos Pappa and their… reconciliation.
“I developed at Olympiakos. When I came to Greece I didn’t have the best reputation, I had several issues with the national team then and many took the opportunity to label me for how I am off the court. They said my character was maybe too much for anyone to handle. The level of players like Spanoulis, Printezis and Papanikolaou made me see how I should behave, work and handle myself“, said the Virtus Bologna guard.
A serious injury led to the decision not to renew his contract in 2017.This was my last match with Olympiakos. The competitive nature cost me several months off the court. It was a defining step in my career, but I didn’t want it to be the only thing I will remember from Olympiakos. I had so many good times, I am blessed to have played in the team for two years. I was injured and my future was uncertain. Olympiacos thought it wouldn’t be a good idea for me to continue with the team. I got a lot of encouragement from the fans. Coach Sfeiropoulos called me in the summer to help me accept that I probably won’t be back. They supported me and did not leave me alone. The Angelopoulos brothers are family“, he emphasized.
As for the kiss he gave to the Olympiakos sign in the SEF center on his first visit as an opponent? “When I first came back and saw the audience and the whole atmosphere, I just wanted to return the love and respect. And that was the only way. I leaned down and kissed the badge. It’s an unforgettable moment“, he said.
In 2016 in a derby of the ages he had a dialogue with Nikos Pappa saying to him “where are you going with that wool?”. However, the two met in November at OAKA, they talked in a very good atmosphere and exchanged jerseys. “I didn’t understand what he had said to me then. Towards the end of the match, I took a shot and stuck his tongue out, made a face. There was a lot of talk about the two of us, that we have a similar character. He has the same nature as me: fearless competitor, always wanting to prove his worth, always fighting for the shirt. I respect that. When we played in OAKA with Virtus, I saw that he had returned to the team. I suggested to him that we exchange jerseys, I wanted to have one of his in my house, to remember the battles we fought. I wanted to tell my children that we fought as rivals, me as an Olympiacos player and him as a Panathinaikos player“, he stated.
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I am currently a news writer for News Bulletin247 where I mostly cover sports news. I have always been interested in writing and it is something I am very passionate about. In my spare time, I enjoy reading and spending time with my family and friends.
