Ergin Ataman, the head coach of Panathinaikos, spoke to the media after the game against Bayern in the EuroLeague’s 33rd round.
Ergin Ataman: I dedicate this game to Juancho Hernangomez
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Ergin Ataman, the head coach of Panathinaikos, spoke to the media after the game against Bayern in the EuroLeague’s 33rd round.
The Turkish strategist began with a rather extensive introduction, highlighting the fans, and especially thanked one player for his contribution.
“Before commenting on the game itself, I must address the Panathinaikos fans. I’ve been to nearly 300 EuroLeague games as a coach, and this is the first time I’ve seen such fans in the regular season at an away game. This club deserves it, and this team is striving to repay them. Tonight, we didn’t play well, but with all due respect to Bayern, they didn’t give up. We didn’t start well, but we took control in the second quarter, especially when Vildoza and Papapetrou were on the court, they did a good job, as did the whole bench.
In the second half, we thought we would finish the game in the final quarter, but we made mistakes. I called a timeout, and with Sloukas’ organization, we regained control. Of course, we’re under great stress regarding the second place, and this game was very important. I dedicate this game to Juancho Hernangomez, he was one of the heroes and gave us a lot of energy. Congratulations to him,” began Ergin Ataman.
“You see our fans in Munich, and in the ‘OAKA’ Arena, it’s even tougher for visiting fans. We have synergy there. It’s important for us to take that second place. However, we need to take everything seriously in the EuroLeague, just like Alba Berlin, which is our last game. Second place for us will open up big dreams and big goals that all Panathinaikos fans dream of. We will try our best in everything.”