Lessor: “Panathinaikos’ goal is to return to where it belongs”

Ready for the new challenge of his career which is the Panathinaikosstated Matias Lessor.

The French center emphasized that he will do everything so that the “greens” become protagonists again, while he mentioned that his former teammate at Partizan said the best words to him, Ioannis Papapetrou.

He initially conveyed his first feelings to paobc.gr: “I am especially happy to be part of Panathinaikos. The team has not had success in recent years but now aspires to return to the level it belongs to. Something similar happened with Partizan last year. I am very pleased to be involved in this endeavor which I see as a challenge“, write down.

When asked about what he knows about Panathinaikos and its history, the 27-year-old center answered: “Everyone knows the huge history of Panathinaikos in European basketball with its successes and European titles. Personally, I understand very well that this is a great organization with great demands, something that Giannis (s.s. Papapetrou) has also told me. In the new season the team will be highly competitive and I can’t wait to get to work».

Matias Lesor discussed with Ioannis Papapetrou when he received the proposal of the “clover”: “Yes, I had told John. He talked to me about Greece, life in the country in general, about the Panathinaikos organization and the fans. I made the decision to come to the club because of the size of the club, the large fan base it has, but also because it is a challenge for me to be part of the effort to get it back to where it belongs“, he said.

The French international had an excellent connection with the friends of Partizan and he aspires to achieve something similar at Panathinaikos: “My connection with Partizan fans came naturally, it wasn’t something I chased. I wish that the fans of Panathinaikos will love me as much as those of Partizan, appreciating the effort I will make to help the team. The two teams have a large fan base with several similarities. The important thing is for Panathinaikos to return to success in order to give joy to the world“, he stated.

Regarding the goals he wants to achieve with Panathinaikos in the next two years, he emphasized:A new team is being built, almost from scratch, with new players. We can’t say much. We all have to come together, work hard and look at each match individually. The goal of Panathinaikos is to return to where it belongs».

Regarding Ergin Ataman, Matias Lessor commented: “Coach Ataman is the most successful in Europe in the last five years. He has won the Euroleague twice and could have won a third if that year had not been interrupted due to covid. He is a very experienced and good coach who knows how to win, which is very important. I can’t wait to see what it brings to my game. I believe we will have an excellent collaboration».

In closing, he sent his own message to the world of Panathinaikos: “I want to tell them to get back on the field. I’m personally looking forward to playing in a full OAKA. I’ve heard so much about the atmosphere they create in the stadium. A new effort is being made and it is important that the world be a helper in it. See you at OAKA…“, concluded.