Panathinaikos captain Kostas Sloukas said Olympiacos deserved to win last season's Euroleague title, speaking at his club's media day on Wednesday ahead of a new season that begins with Zeljko Obradovic on the bench for the first time.
In an interview with the NOVASPORTS channels, Sloukas acknowledged that Olympiacos had been the better side throughout the campaign, even though last season's Final Four was played at Panathinaikos' own home arena, the T-Center.
Sloukas on Olympiacos' Euroleague triumph
Sloukas said he could not say that winning the Euroleague this season would amount to some kind of answer to Olympiacos. He said a team cannot always win, noting that Panathinaikos had lifted the trophy two years earlier while Olympiacos took it last season.
He said Olympiacos had been very good throughout the whole season and had played very good basketball, adding that, in his view, they deserved the title.
Sloukas also addressed the fact that the Final Four had taken place on Panathinaikos' own court. He said that detail meant nothing to him, arguing that the Final Four is generally held at only three or four venues, with Berlin hosting it repeatedly, and with Abu Dhabi and Belgrade set to host it again in future.
New season, new coach
Sloukas said the new campaign begins with very high ambitions. He said there was a vision in place and a fresh atmosphere around the club, adding that the only question now was what the team would show on the court.
The comments came as Panathinaikos begin a new era under Obradovic, one of the most decorated coaches in Euroleague history, who takes charge of the Athens club for the first time this season. Sloukas, an experienced Greek international point guard, has served as Panathinaikos captain and was part of the squad that won the Euroleague two seasons ago before Olympiacos claimed the title last season.
The Euroleague is European basketball's top-tier club competition, and Panathinaikos and Olympiacos are the two most successful Greek clubs in the tournament's history, with their rivalry among the fiercest in European sport.
