The head coach of Panathinaikos, Ergin Ataman, opened up on several topics in an interview with Eurohoops.
From offseason roster adjustments and coaching philosophy to his perspective on the heated incidents that marked the 2025 Greek Basket League Finals.
“In the first year, everything was fine. When I came here against Olympiacos, everything was very fair,” the 59-year-old coach said, reflecting on his first season in Greece during the 2023–24 campaign.
“After that, something changed against me,” he continued, referring to Olympiacos falling short of the EuroLeague title before facing Panathinaikos in the Greek League Finals.
Claim Now Drawing from his experience coaching Anadolu Efes in Turkish derbies, Ataman said he expected a similar kind of intensity in Greece.
“For me, I expected this,” he noted. “Even before I joined Panathinaikos, I had a lot of respect for Olympiacos. This is the reality. They played in the Final Four in the last five or six years. They have a great coach, Giorgos Bartzokas, one of the coaches I like the most. His coaching is great. Olympiacos also finished the season in first place. But, OK, in the rivalry of the Greek teams, the fans and the atmosphere create a lot of tension.”
With the next EuroLeague Final Four set to take place in Athens, at the home court of Panathinaikos, Ataman dismissed the idea that it adds any extra pressure on his team.
“I believe this is something interesting for the media,” he commented. “For us, it’s the same.”
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