A long interview with Fanatik was given by Ergin Ataman talking about the success factors of his qualification Panathinaikou in the Final 4. He praised the contribution of the world and his Dimitris Giannakopoulouwhile he emphasized that the addition of Sluka was done to strengthen his team and to weaken O Olympic. Finally, he explained that he said as a motivation for his players that he would leave in case of elimination from the Final 4 adding that he intends to stay at Panathinaikos for many years.
In detail, Ergin Ataman spoke about:
-the support of the world: “The fans of Panathinaikos believed in me from the first day. We may not have started the season very well, but from the beginning we had faith that we would achieve our goal. The fans were on our side and you could see it when we met them on the road or when we saw them in the stands of our stadium. All of them motivated us and kept us focused. Panathinaikos is one of the biggest clubs in the history of the sport. Last year the team played with 3-4 thousand fans and it is typical that in the playoffs with Maccabi Tel Aviv there was even a waiting list. A lot of people who wanted to come and see the game and couldn’t because the tickets were sold out.”
-his contribution to the team’s success: “I couldn’t do anything on my own. My players succeeded, the club as a whole and the president Dimitris Giannakopoulos, who does everything for this team”
-the “building” of the team: “Everyone thinks we spent a lot of money. But in reality, we used the budget wisely and brilliantly. The acquisition of Slukas was a big expense but it had to be done because we got stronger and Olympiacos got weaker. From there on apart from the youngsters in the team, we kept Grigonis, but all the expenses incurred will come… back with the successes. The team filled the stadium, which brought revenue to the club, as well as sponsors.”
– this year’s Final 4: “Real seems to be the favourite. But not the… clear. I think the other three teams have equal chances. Of course, we are very strong in terms of fans, but the same applies to Fenerbahce and Olympiakos who will have a strong crowd in Berlin. Of course, it will be a… colorful but also difficult event at a competitive level. Almost half of the foreigners living in Germany are Turkish, but there are also quite a few Greeks. Real will be a little more… weaker in terms of fans.”
– the fear of episodes: “I will do my duty in this regard to the best of my ability. I will be calm and humble, especially off the field. But of course we will give all our strength to win on the court.”
– the remark that he would leave if Panathinaikos did not go to the Final 4: “I said it to motivate my players. I think I did it, but the truth is that I was very disappointed after losing the first match against Maccabi. We were so focused on success that I would be very upset if we couldn’t make it to the Final 4. But we managed to get back on our feet. There has already been a great bond between the chairman, the club and all of us in the team and now I think I will stay here for many years here!
Source: Sport Fm
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