Luca Vildoza, the new player for Panathinaikos, spoke ahead of the start of the new EuroLeague season in which his team faces Olympiacos.
Vildoza moved from Crvena Zvezda to the ranks of the six-time EuroLeague champions this summer, a team that has had its share of struggles in both the elite European competition and the domestic league in recent years. He revealed what influenced his decision to wear the jersey of the team from Athens.
“At first, I wasn’t sure. PAO hasn’t been performing well in recent seasons, so I saw this as a challenge. Then I heard that some players were coming here, including the coach, and then I knew: This is it, I have to come here,” Luca Vildoza said.
This season, some big names have arrived in Athens and donned the Panathinaikos jersey.
“We have a lot of options, especially on offense. Lessort is one of the best centers in the EuroLeague. We have Papapetrou, and then there’s Juancho, Sloukas, many offensive factors, but defense must also be our strength. In the preseason games, it was clear that everything is going well, both in defense and offense.”
Before heading to Athens, he was with Crvena Zvezda, where he wanted to regain confidence.
“I have confidence, but I need to figure out how to play with these guys. There are so many good players here with whom you can do literally anything on the court. I felt great both in training and in preseason games,” Vildoza revealed.
Panathinaikos opens the EuroLeague season on Friday when they will host their arch-rivals Olympiacos in the derby of the first round at 8:15 PM.