Ataman: “The management took any player I wanted, Giannakopoulos supports the team”

Ergin Ataman was revealing in an interview in Turkey.

The 58-year-old technician spoke to Hurriyet and referred to his decision to take over Panathinaikos, to the resounding moves made in the summer, to Dimitris Giannakopoulos, but also to the matches with Olympiakos.

“The president of Panathinaikos had the reputation of being a difficult person, but in my opinion that is not the case. He constantly supports the team with enthusiasm by staying out of the lines. He is part of the team. His family has owned Panathinaikos for 40 years, he sees it as the legacy from his father. He has calmed down a bit in the last few years, because things didn’t go as he wanted, but now he is very happy“, emphasized the “clover” technician.

About the matches with Olympiakos he said:We couldn’t beat them for three years, but we went and got the victory in Piraeus. Then we beat them again in the league. We are in 3rd place in the Euroleague. These successes along with what I hear on the road make me happy».

What he said in detail

On the reception he had in Greece: “From the first day, people embraced me. Before I did anything, I heard them say “Ataman has arrived”. When I went out into the streets they saw me as the savior from Turkey. Apart from professionalism, the biggest lack in Turkey is respect and interest. You win the Euroleague title twice and people don’t respect you. The fans and the media immediately start criticizing if you miss a couple of games.”

About the culture he encountered in Greece: “The sports culture in Greece is different. People say: “We have the coach who won the Euroleague twice or even three”. They monitor everything. Things started going well from the moment I arrived. Nobody expected it, because we made more than 10 transfers in a team that last year was last. The team’s budget is 15-16 million euros, i.e. the 6th or 7th budget in the competition. The team used to play in front of 2-3 thousand people. Now we play in a full stadium, which creates a “crazy” atmosphere».

On whether he did all the transfers himself: “I did them all, the management took any player I wanted. So far no team I have worked with has made a transfer without my approval. There were some contracts with players before I came here, but I wanted all the new players».

About his relationship with Olympiakos: “After my agreement with Panathinaikos, they sent me flowers to the hotel where I was staying. “Welcome Mr. Ataman. We are very happy,” the note read. They respect us and say that the man who came here will challenge us. Olympiacos dominated Greek basketball in previous years, Ataman came and said at the beginning of the season that things would change and they did. They respect us. So far I haven’t faced any problems».

For what he has experienced on the streets: “Besides the fact that I can’t walk down the street without being stopped for photos, what touches me are the words I hear. “Thanks for joining the team,” they tell me. I have never experienced this before, no one had told me this.

At the beginning of the season we lost to Olympiacos by 25 points in the Super Cup. Everyone was telling me: “It’s okay, you’re going to make this team a champion.” I hesitantly went out on the road after one of the biggest derbies, but people showed that they believed in me. In no restaurant or cafe will they let me pay. Of course, I also received love in Turkey, but in Athens all this is different. There is real dedication here. There is a special sports culture in Panathinaikos. They have learned Turkish and come to the matches and say “Thank you” to me in Turkish».

On this year’s victories against Olympiakos and his goal: “We couldn’t beat them for three years, but we went and got the victory in Piraeus. Then we beat them again in the league. We are in 3rd place in the Euroleague. These successes along with what I hear on the road make me happy.

Athens has a nice life style. I am a person who loves the sea and swimming. Here I can swim for 12 months. Sometimes people are surprised when they see me on the beach. When I got the 2nd title with Efes the desire to become European champion for the 3rd time put a lot of pressure on me».

On the differences in relation to what he was living in Turkey from the presidents of the teams and for Dimitris Giannakopoulos: “There are different profiles here. The president of Panathinaikos had the reputation of being a difficult person, but in my opinion that is not the case. He is someone who constantly supports the team with enthusiasm by staying out of the lines. He is part of the team. His family has been involved with the team for 40 years, he sees it as the legacy from his father. He’s calmed down a bit in recent years because things didn’t go his way, but now he’s very happy. That’s why I went to Greece. “I want to revive the excitement that my father created,” he told me at our first meeting. This place is different.

Right now I feel like I’m the manager of Galatasaray or Manchester United. This is the atmosphere in Athens. Also, the professionalism within the club is at a very high level. I have never had any problems working with presidents in the past. I am a man who wants active presidents. Players must see that the president is active».

On what it is like for a Turk to live in Athens: “It’s enjoyable. First of all, people like Turks. As they say in Greece, society does not see the Turks as enemies. At the same time, a portion of the world of a certain age comes from Turkey, everyone I have spoken to knows Turkish. They liked me from the first day I came. If an Italian or a French coach came he might not get the same attention. It is an advantage to come here as a Turk».

On the differences that a coach experiences in Turkey and in Athens: “I will leave Anadolu Efes aside as I have also coached Besiktas and Galatasaray. There is excitement there too, but the teams are more football-oriented. Why did I leave Galatasaray? Management changed. They said: “Why are we spending so much money on basketball?”. Galatasaray has been collapsing in basketball since I left.

Not so much money was spent, but for 5-6 years they throw 4-5 million dollars every season. You feel the interest when you train in Athens. The public, the media, the management are completely focused on basketball. You fight in a big field. You play with “giants” like Real Madrid and Barcelona. This motivates you».

Regarding the Erdogan-Mitsotakis meeting and the fact that his name was mentioned: “Yes, that happened. The Greek prime minister, Mitsotakis, spoke about me when he met our president, Recep Tayyip Erdogan. “There is a very popular Turkish technician here,” he told him. This is very important. Why did Mitsotakis say that? It expresses public opinion. The interesting part has to do with the fans from our biggest rivals, Olympiakos, who I also get respect from at the moment».