Ataman for Olympiacos – Panathinaikos: “We won for the SEF championship, we want to do the same in Euroleague”

He talked about the Olympiacos derby – with his “trifyllion” technician expressing his optimism about winning the “trifyll” at the SEF. Specifically Erkin Ataman in his statements before the great Olympiacos-Panathinaikos derby for the 29th Euroleague game, spoke about how important the game is, while stressing that he wants his players to do what they want in the league and win the SEF. In fact, the Turkish technician pointed out how important it is that his team was able to train at the seat of its eternal opponent and stressed that if the “reds” want to do the same at OAKA they will be welcome. In detail Ataman’s words for Olympiacos – Panathinaikos For training at the SEF: “It’s a match for EuroLeague. It’s normal. My system, when we play away for EuroLeague is to travel in the morning, to rest and in the afternoon before the race to practice on the field that we will play. I don’t care if it’s a derby or something. It’s normal. We’ll keep doing it like this. The same will apply to the Basketball League playoffs. They are welcome to come to OAKA, if they want to.” For the first taste of the opponent’s seat: “For you it may be something strange, but for us it is normal. Of course, I like to practice on the field. We did the same in Madrid and Barcelona. So why not play with Olympiacos? They are two great clubs in Greece (ed.: Panathinaikos and Olympiacos), participating in the event. All the games so far were fair. Everything we’ve played so far. From the EuroLeague race in OAKA, where we lost in the extension. In the Cup. Or here when we beat them in the Basket League. You tell me this is the first time Panathinaikos has been practicing here, but I am telling you that this will continue between the two teams. The basketball battle on the field is normal, but both teams are very professional. If Mr Bartzokas wants to practice at OAKA in the next games, it’s easy. I like it that way. I also did so in Turkey against Fenerbahce. So every time I do it this way.” How different tomorrow’s derby from the Cup final: “He’s different. Both teams will have more strangers in the rotation because they will have EuroLeague rosters. We won’t have Luca Vildosa again because of injury, like in the Cup. We didn’t play well there, we didn’t score enough. We went to a low score, as Olympiacos wanted. We didn’t find our score and we lost. So far, we have played five times with Olympiacos, lost twice very clearly, in the Super Cup and the Greek Cup, we lost in the extension to EuroLeague, but we also won them twice. Olympiacos leads by 3–2 games between us. I hope we won’t match Olympiacos at the EuroLeague playoffs. We’ll also probably play them in the Stoiximan Basket League finals if everything goes well. I hope that we will not face them in EuroLeague playoffs because there will be a lot of games between us.” About whether tomorrow’s derby winner will get the home advantage in the playoffs: “I think we still have six matches. Tomorrow is the first of them. For us it will be very important to win many games. I don’t know exactly how much. But I think five wins will keep us in the first four. Every fight is hard, sure. We have a very difficult program and one of the hardest away games is the one with Olympiacos. Not only because it’s a derby, but also because it’s a very good team that plays very well. I see his games, he plays with very good organization, with great psychicity. For no EuroLeague team it is easy to come here and win. But we have already done it in the Championships and we will try to repeat it in the struggle that is very important for both of us. If you think there’s only six games left and we only have one win difference, it’ll be important for both of us to win. It will be important, not only for the four, but also for a place in the six-pack and direct qualification to the playoffs.”