OPAP AE held a Press Conference having representatives of both Panathinaikos and Olympiakos, since both will be participating in the 2012 THY Euroleague Final 4. Present were Giorgos Spanoudakis (Chairman of the BoD and Managing Director OPAP AE), Zeljko Obradovic, Stratos Perperoglou and Sarunas Jasikevicius for Panathinaikos and Dusan Ivkovic, Giorgos Printezis and Kostas Papanikolaou for Olympiakos, both sides exchanging gifts but also presenting a jersey with all the players autographs to the host of the event.
Giorgos Spanoudakis stressed: “I would like to welcome and express my gratitude towards Mr and Mr Obradovic and Ivkovic and to the players of both teams that came here, who honored us by coming to the OPAPA AE offices for this event. It is the top basketball celebration, the one which they are preparing for and today is a notable day since its is proof of both teams’ pure sportsmanship nature. Sports and civilization and sports and civilization bring teams together, fans together and unite OPAP AE with both teams and fans. Greek Basketball throughout the years has brought joy to the Greek fans at a national level. It has presented our country world-widely, it has advertised its athletic tradition and it will continue to do so in the future. It is the Great Sponsor of Greek Basketball and of the two best teams in the country and in European Basketball. Our choice justifies us since it works towards good sportsmanship on the court and high level performance and show-time moments but also good willed competitiveness in the fan’s stands but also out of these very stands. All here present serve the well being of the specific sport and we would like to set an example for the fans. They verify it here in the very home of OPAP AE in which they have come to shake hands and for one team to wish the other a good voyage and good luck in a very rare event which is a message for all Greek fans who will either watched the games up close or from the television. Good voyage and good luck from OPAP AE to both team, assuring that their combined presence at the Final 4 has made us all very proud”.
The Chairman of BoD and Managing Director assured that the intention of the company is to continue to stand by basketball: “It is obvious that the double representation at the Final 4 merits our sponsoring plans and we would like to continue our sponsoring deals with both teams in the future. It is important for the OPAP AE games that we our close to basketball, a sport that presents us with great successes”.
Z. Obradovic: “We hope for something better”
Zeljko Obradovic spoke of the success in being present at a Euroleague Final 4 but also added that reaching here only is not enough but there is a new goal: “We have the chance to talk almost every day prior to every Final 4 and I am not sure that we have something new to add. What I would like to repeat is that it is a great result for both us and Olympiakos to participate in a Final 4. We reached it, it is a success, but were we are now we would like to try for something better. A good game versus CSKA Moscow is what we are after now”.
Final 4 competitions count 25 years of life and Zeljko Obradovic has experienced every single one of them in the basketball regency, either as player or as coach. What has changed? “It is easy to see what has changed if you check out my photos from then and now. My hair has gone grey! Joking aside, it is granted that I am very happy to have lived through all of them and that I am going to find myself in the city where I conquered my first title as coach”.
When asked if the Greek’s DNA include basketball, Panathinaikos’ coach stated: “After all that has happened even from the past summer, it is amazing that two Greek teams will be competing in the Final 4. Because, really, nobody gave us any chance to achieve such a thing. Thankfully our players had a different opinion on the matter and now we are at yet another Final 4”.
Sarunas Jasikevicius and Stratos Perperoglou agreed that it is the little thing that define the outcome of an encounter. “You must look out for the smallest of details”, Jasikevicius stated, only to add: We have a plan and we must follow it. Many games are judged in the little differences and things that appear to be of minor importance turn out o be of dire importance in the end. Like for example a good screen, a single rebound or even a great pass. This little elements might very well end u being the entire game”. Perperoglou continued in the same manner: “I have to agree with Saras. They are games defined in the details. You are not allowed to experience any kind of dry spell. A single point might be the factor to judge the game outcome. Every single lost or gained ball might judge the result”.
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