Olympiacos have officially confirmed that they will temporarily play their home games at AEK Athens’ SUNEL Arena while renovation work continues at the Peace and Friendship Stadium.
The reigning EuroLeague champions will use the venue for both their EuroLeague and Greek Basket League home games during the opening months of the season.
Olympiacos thanked AEK for their cooperation, responsiveness and hospitality as the two clubs finalized an agreement over the temporary move.
The possibility of Olympiacos relocating to the SUNEL Arena had previously been reported in June, but the agreement has now been officially completed.
Olympiacos to remain in Athens during SEF renovation
The temporary relocation will keep Olympiacos within the Athens metropolitan area while extensive renovation work continues at the Peace and Friendship Stadium, the club’s home for more than four decades.
The project includes a €15 million investment from Olympiacos for improvements inside the arena, alongside an additional €25 million provided by the Greek state for a wider energy upgrade.
While the practice facilities are already operational, work on the main arena is still ongoing. Olympiacos are expected to remain away from the Peace and Friendship Stadium through the end of the calendar year, with a return targeted for early 2027.
For AEK, the agreement also represents a significant financial boost, with the rental fee reportedly exceeding €1 million.
Bartzokas and Vezenkov expect adjustment period
The move to a new home will not simply be a logistical change for Olympiacos, with head coach Georgios Bartzokas and star forward Sasha Vezenkov both acknowledging the challenge of playing without their usual home-court advantage.
“A very important role, and everyone needs to understand that. And I am talking about the general public, our fans first and foremost, but also journalists. Not playing at home always causes a great deal of wear and tear. Because you move away from your routines and, obviously, we will not have the home-court advantage we would have here with our fans”, Bartzokas said to Sport24.
The Olympiacos coach also called for patience during the opening part of the season.
“We will be forced to play many games away from home at the beginning, and all of us, the fans, the management, ourselves and the players, need to be patient and focus, as always, on the present, but also on the fact that as the season progresses we will have more weapons than we have at the beginning.”
Vezenkov, meanwhile, admitted that the team will need some time to adapt to its temporary surroundings.
“At first, theoretically, it will be a little more difficult until we get used to it and find our footing, but we are professionals and through work and through game by game, as cliché as it may sound, we will go out there and figure out what it will be like. It will take a little time, but we will be ready.”
The EuroLeague champion is also looking forward to seeing the finished version of the renovated Peace and Friendship Stadium.
“I want to experience it when it is ready. We have seen models, we have seen some things, but when it is ready, it will be impressive.”
