The official presentation of ΕΖΑ
Olympiacos BC presented today (07/11) its new sponsoring collaboration with the Greek Brewery of Atalante.
"It is with great pleasure that we present our new sponsor, the Greek Brewery of Atalante and the company's beer products", the General Director of Olympiacos BC, Christos Stavropoulos said and went on: "This agreement with a totally Greek and developing company is true to our strategy to co-operate with corporations that have vision, values and try for the best and of course wish to assist our effort to win the top in both Greece and in Europe. This new collaboration, attaches the Olympiacos brand to an enjoyable, refreshing product that is necessary to almost all happy moments of the Greeks, the Greek EZA beer and its exquisite quality. We'll do everything in our power so that this collaboration returns to the company its investment multiplied and help them achieve their strategic goals. I wish our new associates all the best and we are certain that the great Olympiacos family and the team's efforts will contribute to their vision for development and success!"
Kostas Papanikolaou analyzed the way sports are connected to beer! "Olympiacos has the tactic to support Greek companies, develop with them and contribute to their success. It's very nice to have a Greek company by our side. It makes the Club even bigger. We are very happy for this collaboration. You may wonder how beer can connect with athletes. Believe me, when games are done, there is a lot of tension and on these nights EZA is going to be by our side to help us relax. I think that our collaboration is going to be great like with all our sponsors and we are going to be doing all we can to see both our companies grow".
The President and CEO of the Greek Brewery of Atalante SA, Athanasios Syrianos, stressed: "I'm at home. For all those who know me, they understand that the Olympiacos sponsorship is very emotional for me, because when I was a teenager and while with the Greek National Team, I was training with the Olympiacos rowing team, next to the basketball players. Our motto is "beer the way it should be"… And basketball is as it should be… I'm explaining myself… We have competition, we have teams that have a great course in Europe and make us proud. Such a small nation, through Olympiacos, is always present at final fours. We have players that are a product for exportation… The same goes for the coaches. We have foreign players that know they will be playing for the team coming here, not that the team will be playing for them. Things are different with beer. It's a monopoly and whoever tries to make a difference faces antagonism to the extremes. We have been trying to open up this market and make beer an exportable product and try to get our fare share of the local market as well. Olympiacos is an example in this sense and if we look to find that kind of examples in the corporate world, we are going to find only a handful. We are inspired by a great team. We hope they are successful in their endeavors in and out of Greece. I'm certain that this collaboration has the potential to be a long term one".
«We need to be mentally prepared»
Questions were many and original. One of them was aimed at Kostas Papanikolaou: With whom from your opponents of the Friday derby would you sit down to have a beer with? "The question is easy. There are many guys that work together for the National team. To start naming them will take time. They are many… Nick and Thanassis and Ian… I don't want to forget anyone. I would easily go from our locker rooms to theirs with my team mates to have a beer. We have said that many times. Competition is within the four lines. Relationships are different outside the court. We all want to win when we play and we are going to do everything to get it. But our relationship is totally different outside the playing court". On whether there are a lot of players that need a beer when called for a doping control test, the 'reds' forward commented: "It's a great help. I think that the athlete's nightmare is the doping control test, not because they are afraid to be tested positive with a prohibited substance, but because it's difficult to get through with it. Many guys have stayed for hours at the gym due to the procedure. There was a regulation prohibiting from drinking beer for a doping control test, but I think this has changed. So, this collaboration is going to be of great help!".
On the absence of Vasilis Spanoulis, Pap stressed: "I can't describe with words how much we miss Vasilis. He's the main pillar of the team. We are definitely waiting for him to come back. But I'm not qualified to talk about injuries and medical subjects. We need him to come back, but he's working with the medical and technical staff and doing the best they can for him to come back the soonest possible".
Finally, on the Friday game (10/11, 20:00 CET) against Panathinaikos at the SEF, for the 6th day of the Euroleague, Kostas Papanikolaou said: "Panathinaikos may be coming from two negative results but we also coming from a tough loss in Barcelona. We are only focusing on our team and how we are going to be ready. What we need is to react, to come back from a very tough Euroleague loss and prepare the most ready we can on the floor. Having the support of our fans and by bringing on the floor all we failed to bring in the previous game, we believe we can get the victory. So, we need to forget about all else and just look at ourselves. See how we are going to be mentally ready, because we weren't focused in Barcelona. So the preparation for the Friday game starts today and we hope to be ready".
«We are going to be ready for the first title»
Asked about the profits for the sponsoring collaboration, the General Director of Olympiacos BC, Christos Stavropoulos answered: "I've said that before. The Olympiacos' brand is one of the most recognizable in Europe and not only there. For the Greek focus of the marketing strategy, we need to pin point that the three biggest Greek companies, OPAP, Piraeus Bank and Cosmote are all sponsoring us. That's why we are very happy that a totally Greek Company, EZA, has joined us. Olympiacos takes its sponsors to Europe through its brand name. The support we have from these companies is very important to us".
When asked to answer if there is satisfaction from the fact that after four years Olympiacos will be going after all three titles, he said: "Olympiacos always fights for the three goals. The goal doesn't change. We are very happy; we are not shy about it. We'll try to be ready for all three titles. The first one is the Greek Cup. Our basic wish is for all of us to be healthy. For the guys to be healthy and from that point on I trust in the work of the coaching staff and I think we are going to be ready for the first title in February".