With its fans by its side but not at the OAKA, Panathinaikos will be committing its two first Euroleague games. Euroleague announced a modification of the clover’s sanction, which states that the games must be committing instead of behind closed doors, at a court which must be at lead 300 kilometers from Athens. It is a decision which essentially applies the new by-laws to be enforced by the organizing committee. In any event it was also Panathinaikos’ wish to perform in front of supporters outside of Athens, something that will finally happen.
Application of the by-law
This change in Panathinaikos's sanction was decided with the fans in mind, as well as with consideration for new competition by-laws to take effect this season," Jordi Bertomeu, Euroleague Basketball President and CEO, said. "Where the incidents that led to the sanction occurred, the penalty still stands: no games at OAKA. At the same time, we have taken the opportunity to give the team's large fan base elsewhere a chance to enjoy something in person that they would not otherwise be able to: an official Turkish Airlines Euroleague game."
The two-game sanction concerns the upcoming regular season's second and fourth games, which Panathinaikos plays against Laboral Kutxa Vitoria and Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar, respectively. Panathinaikos will now play Laboral Kutxa Vitoria on October 25 at Eleftheria Indoor Hall in Nicosia, Cyprus. It will play Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar on November 7 at Iraklio Arena in Crete. Panathinaikos will not return to its home court, OAKA in Athens, for a Euroleague game until meeting the qualifying rounds winner on November 21.
"We expect that the incidents and infractions that were penalized will not be repeated," Mr. Bertomeu said. "But we also hope that by taking these games to places like Cyprus and Crete, fans who do not have a regular possibility to do so will be able to enjoy a Turkish Airlines Euroleague game live, turning a negative into a positive for their benefit."
Cyprus Basketball Federation announcement
Panathinaikos will be in Cyprus on October 25 in order to commit its encounter with Spanish Vitoria Laboral in Turkish Airlines Euroleague game 2. This seems to be the joyful outcome of the six-time European Champion and the Cyprus Basketball Federation’s common desire, ever since the sanction of the Greens’ home-court had been announced concerning this very game.
“The Cyprus Basketball Federation was in contact with the Panathinaikos BC people, the latter to show great interest in getting to compete in front of the team’s many friends in Cyprus. Euroleague’s official announcement breathes life into the friends of basketball in Cyprus’s dream, since the greatest and most successful team of the European continent will be playing an official game in the “Tassos Papadopoulos-Eleftheria” arena.
Let it be noted that this will be the first time that Cyprus will be hosting a game of the supreme European basketball competition at club level. This very fact is a great honor, not only for the Federation, but moreover for the entire Cyprus sport department and it is unavoidably certain that the “Tassos Papadopoulos-Elefhteria” indoor arena is expected to be way too small to be able to host the thousands of Panathinaikos supporters in Cyprus”.
