Panathinaikos OPAP announces the termination of the cooperation with Rick Pitino by mutual agreement.
Mr. Pitino's presence in Panathinaikos family has been, and is will be a great honour for our Association and its History. The great coach and man, honoured our Club and proved that his successful presence in World Basketball and being a member of the Hall Of Fame is not accidental.
Every minute of our cooperation with Mr. Pitino has been extremely educational for our team members, and the knowledge of the American coach is a great legacy for the present and future of our Club.
Every workout, every game, every discussion with him has been a lesson for all of us. And not just for basketball but for life as well.
We are very pleased that his return in the USA, to be close to his family in these difficult times for humanity, has been combined with his return to his home court: the NCAA Championship.
We hope that his return with IONA College will be combined with the conquest of the top. Mr. Pitino is one of us. A lifelong friend of Panathinaikos. And that is a huge benefit for our Club.
Finally, we would like to thank Mr. Pitino's agent, Mr. Angelos Kotaridis, for his enormous contribution to the coach’ s coming, as well as in the overall Pitino case.
