Zouros: “I fell into one of the worst moments at AEK, there was no smooth operation”

For its non-smooth operation AEK Betsson said Ilias Zouros speaking to EOK WebRadio. The outgoing coach of “Union” did not meet the conditions he was hoping for to present a better work, saying that the timing of their cooperation was wrong. At the same time, he mentioned the presence of two Greek teams in its Final 4 Euroleague. He spoke in detail:

For this season with AEK: “For me it definitely leaves a bitter ‘taste’. AEK has always been one of the teams that I thought had really great potential. A team with too many people, with its own stadium, history, titles. A coach always wants to work at AEK. That’s exactly how I felt during the process, but many times the timing is wrong. I fell into perhaps one of the worst moments in AEK, with huge problems, with injuries, with difficulties, with malfunctions in different matters that existed especially at the end. There was no smooth functioning of the team, there were no trainings, there were no players and unfortunately the AEK team could not reach where this team generally deserves. The only positive thing was that, albeit in a heroic way, she again won her participation in a European competition. As a professional coach, I hope that AEK will move forward, that any problems will be solved and that things will be as they should be”.

For the absence of people at the games: “I don’t remember at all that we had people at the end. It is very sad to play in an empty stadium, especially when AEK has so many people who can fill the stadium and create a very nice atmosphere. I hope that the … dramas will stop and that there will be no unpleasantness of the team playing without people”.

For the presence of the two “eternals” in the Final-4 of the Euroleague: “Panathinaikos this year made a course that perhaps most people did not expect. When you start with a new coach and several new players it is not easy to reach the Final-4. He showed very good evidence, he won the world and the world returned, a very important part for the success of a team, he made big victories that boosted the confidence of the team, until he reached the Final-4. It is a great success for Panathinaikos. On the other hand, it is also an achievement for Olympiakos, but, because it has achieved it for consecutive years, for some it was taken for granted, while it should not be so. Reaching the Final-4 is the culmination of a whole year’s work and a huge effort throughout. It will be very possible for our basketball team to win such a title.”

For the semi-final Panathinaikos-Fenerbahce: “Both semi-finals are very competitive. Panathinaikos showed stability. On the other hand, Fenerbahce, with the arrival of Jasikevicius, the players found some roles and the team found a balance at that given moment. He has stepped up a lot, has and has performed very well as in the last few games. It will be a close game that will be decided in the details.”

On whether Olympiacos will have extra motivation because they lost the trophy to Real Madrid last year: “Yes, Olympiacos sees this particular game with a little more motivation from the point of view that last year they did not succeed against Real, but every match is different, every team is different. There is very little motivation for the match, as a match, for what happened last year. The motivation of coming out champion in such a Final-4 is the biggest you can have. So it breaks down what has been done before, you care about getting there, winning the semi-final and the final and being crowned European champions. There is the motivation of the champion, which in itself is huge.”

For the chances of the two Greek teams: “Panathinaikos, because it is the first time in a long time that he is going, has the excitement. It’s the season, but there’s also excitement within the team and around the world. Olympiacos has been there in recent years again and again and there is experience. There was the disappointment last year in a season where he had played really, really good basketball. Now there are balances. As far as I can see, both our teams will be full. All four teams are very good, they all have many good players. Tactics will play a role, but I don’t think there will be too many surprises in these matches.”

For the world of the two “eternals”: “In general, Greek basketball has shown its value. Both Panathinaikos and Olympiacos have given their credentials and have an advantage. Wherever they play, the stadium fills up. They play away from home and no matter how many tickets they are given, they are not enough. It’s not just that they run out. People are “thirsty” to see their team and it is something very important. We ourselves must protect this. I hope we can make it. I hope that one of the two Greek teams will manage to lift the European trophy. In general, there are very few Final-4 tickets for so many people. The two Greek teams have too many people. The love of the fans is huge. This is the profit of this year’s rise of Panathinaikos in the basketball part, the excitement, the “rivalry”, the competition has returned. Unfortunately, these tickets cannot cover the needs”.

For the “breaks” in the play-offs: “The crowd can create a very strong atmosphere, but the players now have the experience, they are big personalities. There is no absolute that from the moment you have home advantage you win something. You certainly play in a familiar environment, but that means absolutely nothing, because there is the experience of the players, there are very qualified coaching staffs.”