The Presidents talk about the Three Peat
The Presidents of Olympiacos BC, Panagiotis and Giorgos Angelopoulos, talked about the significance of winning the 3rd consecutive Greek Cup title and gave apotheosis to the team's coach, Giorgos Bartzokas, for his creation.
"What we said to the team in the locker room is that we wrote history tonight winning the Cup title for the third straight year", Mr. Panagiotis Angelopoulos pointed out. "Olympiacos had done it once again in the '70s, but in modern times and given the level of competition, with 3-4 games a week, it's unprecedented. We only played three games here. Panathinaikos is very strong, tonight's achievement is unique, we are enjoying it, we continue making history".
Asked whether winning the Cup makes them hungry for more, Mr. Giorgos Angelopoulos sufficed to say: "No. We were hungry already". On his part, Mr. Panagiotis Angelopoulos stressed: "We are always hungry for success. Now we focus on the Euroleague and the Basket League. Goals don't change year by year".
About managing negative results, Mr. Panagiotis Angelopoulos said: "Managing defeats is something that has been characterizing the team in the past few years and it's what has brought us an inch from winning the Euroleague and gave us the double crown in Greece, the Super Cup also. What I would like to say though, about this season, which is special and I'm not saying it to tout our own horn, is that the team has been unprecedented misfortune, injuries that would have torn apart any other team. We did the best possible to re-enforce the team, something like that is very difficult to pull through in the middle of the season. We have very good players coming in, we expect Nikola Milutinov to return around the end of the March and I believe we are going to be even stronger then".
About the organization of the tournament and the harmonious presence of the fans in the tribunes, Mr. Giorgos Angelopoulos commented: "The atmosphere was very good in general terms. There were a few exceptions that should have been avoided and the Federation needs to look upon that. But, if you take single out those incidents, the atmosphere was excellent".
Asked whether the Greek Cup competitions is underestimated, Mr. Panagiotis Angelopoulos replied: "Who says that? Not us. No, it's not underestimated at all. On the contrary, the effort the Federation has been putting in these past few years, so many fans watching the games... It's probably a revamped competition. Also, you have to count in the joy it gives the players, the empowerment... Tonight, we won Naz (Mitrou Long). He had never played such a game since he joined the team. Wright also. After such a short time on the team, and he gets to win a title. I'd say it's a very strong and valid competition".
Petrusevn and Wright were added to the team's roster while the season was in progress, but they immediately proved to be able to contribute substantially. About those players, and also their collaboration with the coaching staff, Mr. Giorgos Angelopoulos commented: "The collaboration with the coaching staff is has been impeccable. It's at the best possible level. The coach deserves all the credit for what he had created with Olympiacos. Tonight, we saw an amazing game with excellent decision making. He has inspired the whole team and we are never out of touch, we keep an open communication channel with him for anything he might need, because it's not just re-enforcement but so many more things".
Mr. Panagiotis Angelopoulos added on the same issue: "Our cooperation is excellent. Long was key to the game tonight. Brazdeikis, he's stepping up now, although typically he's not a new sigh, he came to the team at the end of September. He's a young player also and he's added to the core. We will continue doing the best we can when the team needs it".