Costas Papangelopoulos on Olympiacos vs Panathinaikos: ‘Only Victory in Mind’

Just hours before the highly anticipated clash (14/03/25, 21:15, Live on Newsit.gr) at SEF Arena for the Olympiacos-Panathinaikos EuroLeague derby in Round 29, Costas Papangelopoulos spoke about the upcoming matchup. In a promotional video by EuroLeague ahead of the game, Papangelopoulos emphasized that once the match begins, nothing matters but victory. Speaking candidly, he stated, ‘There are no friendships when you step onto the court. You play solely to win—it’s all that’s on your mind. Our fans want to defeat their rivals, and vice versa. The atmosphere is always a bit more intense. Playing either at home or away is always special. I’ve learned how to stay focused only on the game when we’re playing outside our home ground. We both aim to win every time because we understand what it means for the team, the organization, the fans, and even the players themselves. Panathinaikos is also a very strong team, and these games between us over the past few years have been decided right down to the wire and in the details, which excites basketball enthusiasts as it represents the highest level of competition.’