Nerantzakis: “PAOK does not have the possibility to take the next step at this stage”

In the difficulties and challenges he faced in the short time he was a coach at PAOK mentioned the Stathis Nerantzakis speaking on EEC Web Radio. Dealing with the situation and the limitations of the budget with realism, he emphasized that at the present stage it is difficult to make competitive excesses. He spoke in detail:

For the three months in the team as head coach: “With the switch of emotions these three months seemed like more than 1-2 seasons. More than that remains. We had many unpleasant or pleasant moments, we had many exchanges. A world-class player came to the Greek league, which was something very unexpected for us and for the whole basketball-loving world. So what I keep these months are these swings of emotions, which really filled our daily life and made it feel like a whole season.”

About his philosophy: “What I had and still have in mind as a coaching philosophy could not be implemented by the team with the existing roster at the time I took over. So even that is a state of creation for the coaches. I was looking for solutions, going to the characteristics of the players, the team and how we could get what we can at 100%. The final result, the 8th place, based on everything we experienced during the season, had a positive sign for the team as well”.

For this year’s course of PAOK: “I think he wanted to keep the legacy. The team does not have the possibility to take the step above at this stage, so the goal every year is to maintain the achievements. This year we didn’t make it, last year we finished in 4th place, this year in 8th. Every year we strive for that and for what is best.”

For this year’s championship: “Out of the four best teams in Europe, two compete in the Greek league. Let’s not forget Peristeri, who reached the Final-4 of the BCL. That says something about how much the level has gone up. I think that in recent years, due to the financial support available from the state with the bet, a boost has been given to the teams so that they have a better plan, with a specific financial possibility that is given to them from the beginning of the year. In general, the Greek league has been on the rise in recent years and next year I believe it will be even better.”

For his future: “If I’m not mistaken, I think I’m the… most senior coach, either assistant or first, in A1 right now. I’ve been doing it off and on since 2010. I haven’t looked it up, of course. Based on this as a starting point and with my own “wants”, the time has come for me to take a driver’s seat in a team. I was certainly ready in the previous years as well, but due to the circumstances I had decided that I would be a partner of any coach who came to the team. This does not mean that now that I have decided to be the first, I will not be able to be a partner. My experience over the years has shown that there is no first coach and assistant, it’s purely a collaboration between the coaches, a team, there is no hierarchy, just someone has to be up.”

Regarding the effort made by the president of PAOK, Thanasis Hatzopoulos: “Looking back, at the time he took over the management of the team we were in the midst of the coronavirus, so the situation was very special. So, apart from finances, due to the isolation that existed, the group had to operate with the person-centered model. Based on this starting point, this path has continued throughout the years that he has been in administration. Because the financial part, which is a primary goal for the same, has it as a priority, it is essentially forced to take more initiatives, to be understaffed in the team’s offices and in its way of operation. It is a matter of fact that he wants to do it until the end of this financial “brachna” that is plaguing the team. As he himself has said in his statements, at the end of 2025 he will be able, as things go, to have paid off most of the debts, so PAOK must be patient until then in order for this historic club to grow.” .