Without stepping on the gas, Panathinaikos AKTOR prevailed with a score of 90-82 against the mighty Prometheus in the nice atmosphere of OAKA, in a postponed match for Stoiximan Basket League.
After the match, Ilias Papatheodorou erupted at the press conference, expressing his displeasure with the 23 day break that was in the league, due to obligations Panathinaikos AKTOR and Olympiakos in the Euroleague playoffs.
His statements in detail:
“Congratulations to Panathinaikos for both the victory and the qualification to the Final Four of the Euroleague. It is a very big success for the club. Congratulations also to Olympiakos for qualifying. It is a great achievement for Greek basketball to have two teams in the Final Four and combined with the presence of Peristeri in the Final Four of the BCL it is a very nice image for the Greek league and basketball.
For the game I will say that the team played at a pretty good level after I got sent off against a high level team. We had good movement and good decisions in attack yes we hit some long shots and we were very competitive which for us was the important thing. And it was important because I don’t remember any team in this period having to play 23 days of official basketball games, like all the teams. In this part of the season.
So, after the very nice words we said about Panathinaikos and Olympiakos, I would like to ask who is in command in Greek basketball? What do these two groups stand for? Do the rest of us exist? How can one characterize a championship that is interrupted for 23 days? What will be the problem if Panathinaikos and Olympiacos play intermediate games? In which other country in Europe is the league interrupted for 23 days because there are Euroleague playoffs? In Uganda? In Azerbaijan? We have play-offs, we have to keep the team, how will we play after a 25-day break in May. It’s like we went on vacation and came back. And why is Real playing? Why is Barcelona playing? Why is Maccabi playing? And what will happen if Panathinaikos loses to Prometheus? Or Olympiacos from Peristeri? Will anything change? Will the final be different in the league?
Are they interested in Greek basketball or do they think Panathinaikos and Olympiacos are Greek basketball? And we have to be down there deifying them and just saying well done? Are they interested in Greek basketball? The Greek league? The national team? Has anyone reviewed this? What exactly do the rest of us in the league stand for. What is the reason for our presence? Shall we make puppets? It is a big concern of all the other basketball people, because basketball is the two big teams of the country and everyone is happy with their successes.
I don’t remember when Peristeri and Prometheus played in the quarter-finals and the Greek championship was interrupted. Why did we play against Aris on Sunday and Malaga on Wednesday? We don’t care about the Final Four? Only Panathinaikos and Olympiacos want to go? Why did Peristeri play normally? Aris when he was about to go to the “8” of the Eurocup, which also had a very good course. Why wasn’t the league suspended?
Will anyone cheer the event or will we be the ones applauding? I think that if the mentality of the two big ones does not change, because they run the situation in the Greek league, we will have some successes but the rest of us will not be able to develop as coaches, as teams, as clubs. I think I am expressing the majority of the other teams and I hope that a solution will be found next year because Panathinaikos and Olympiacos will be strong and successful again. And to find a compromise solution so that we all participate on equal terms.”
Source: Sport Fm
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.
