Panathinaikus and Olympiakos will meet only twice this season, and only at the Euroleague (21:30) this will also be the first time they have faced each other since the never-ending conflict last season.
Fans in Oaka are preparing a warm welcome
Photography:
GettyImages
Despite the improvement, the Reds come as an underdog
Photography:
GettyImages
For the first time since February the Derby is back in Athens. Panathinaikos will host the Olympics in Euroleague full evening (9:30 pm, 5 star sports). This is the hottest game in Europe, which should be particularly hot this time around, because this season has added quite a few spicy season. I want to say, this derby really will have its own rules.
Until recently, a Athens derby was 10 times a season: league, playoffs, trophies and Euroleague. But this season they will only meet twice, only in Euroleague. This will be the only time this season for Panathinaikos fans to see their sworn opponent in their hall, and for the first time since the big blast that happened in the same hall last season.
On February 13, the big dispute between the clubs got a big twist in the Greek Cup semi-final match. Olympiacos (who then coached David Blatt) refused to step up in the second half in protest of the judgment and the game blew up.
It continued when the Red and White did not appear in the league game against Pau and later not the quarterfinals in front of her. All this, because their demand, for which the games between them will be judged by foreign judges, was not met. Olympiacos was severely punished and lowered to the second league, and so it was that Greek basketball was completely changed - the derby had disappeared from the local arena.
The chain of events has led to a wave of fights, friction, strife and mutual stings. Relationships that were always poor have reached a record low, and just describe to you the reception Olympia will receive from fans in Oaxa who are also overly enthusiastic about Rick Pitino's feedback to the lines.
The Torah scandal: the pre-Olympic tournament
But it really doesn't end here. Only in the past week has a new storm created her. The Greek press reported that Olympic players Jurgus Printesis, Kostas Papanicolao and Antonius Coniaris sent a letter to the Greek Association announcing that they would not participate in the pre-Olympic tournament with the Greek national team. The reason: Pitino is also the varsity coach. The association claimed that the truth did not match the publications and that the players would be part of the Greek roster for the pre-Olympic tournament. Pitino himself even commented on the issue, saying: "The matter in the national team is not the rivalry. The thing about the team is to play and respect your country."
Pitino. Does he expect a storm in the team as well? // Photo: IP
Panathinaikos boss Dimitris Yanakopoulos, of course, didn't miss a chance to bump into the opponent ahead of tonight's game: "Olympiakos has been trying to destroy the basketball at all levels. Again, this game will prove that light defeats darkness ... as long as it stays in the second half."
Professionally the two teams graph it, especially the host in green. The big change in Pau came after the low point where she lost to Alba Berlin at home and was ousted from the Cup by Prometias. Argiris Padulakis has been sacked and since then the team with three consecutive wins receiving a huge boost from Pitino's return (last week's victory over Scania).
Olympiakos, who opened badly and immediately fired David Blatt, recently joins with two consecutive victories including a defeat that led to Milan last week. Nevertheless, Pau's quality advantage and home advantage, especially in this kind of game, make her a favorite. Hold tight.
