By Rigas Dardalis/ dardalis@eurohoops.net
His successor has already been found, but the problem is that he still hasn’t left. Therefore Andrea Trinchieri traveled in Athens in order to meet Giorgos Vasilakopoulos and discuss the termination of his twi year contract, but no agreement was reached.
According to Eurohoops sources, the Italian offered a “haircut” of his salary for the 2nd season of his contract and the Greek federation’s counteroffer was to give him part of the money they owe him from the first year of his contract. It is possible that this case will be solved in FIBA’s court and as Trinchieri returned to Kazan, his agent Nikos Lotsos will handle it from now on.
Before taking the flight back to Russia, the head coach of Unics, spoke about the negotiations with the Greek federation and about his future in Kazan and gave a promise that he will talk in detail about his tenure in Greek team, after the season is concluded.
“I came in Athens for one day, because I want to find a solution, even though it’s not an easy period for me, because we’re playing in the playoffs, but it was important. I made a step towards the federation to find an agreement, because we both want that. The timeline is not great, cause we don’t have a lot of time, but I tried to, actually I did not try, I made a big step towards them. I didn’t have a clear answer yet and we’ll see what’s going on. I gave up some things that were on the contract and the only thing, is that I thought the situation could be more clear. Right now it’s not so clear”.
-By that you mean, that there were no certain numbers on the table?
“No. When you have contract, a fully guaranteed contract, there are no doubts about the numbers. From my point I cut these numbers, I made a huge step, cause you know, If I came here, I came for a friendly settlement. I made a big step and i offered an important pay cut of my fully guarantee contract. But until I didn’t now have a clear response”.
-You thing that this meeting should have been placed earlier?
“At the end of September; I don’t know if it is a lot earlier or not”.
-And by what you saw in that meeting, the environment was not friendly for you, cause you seem a little bit bitter.
“No I am not bitter. I am just little tired of flying, because at this moment, everything is a game, then flight, travel… I am not bettered because, it’s not time to be. The point is that I believe we need to find a solution and there is not a lot of ways. We’ve got two options. Either we find a friendly agreement, or somebody else will take the decisions for us. I don’t like the second option”.
-You set a deadline to reach an agreement?
“No, I have big respect for the federation, I am not here to say do it in 1,2 3 days”.
-Your future in Kazan, will depend on how the season ends;
“I don’t know. I don’t like this sentence, but it is what it is, for everyone. We know better than anyone else, that no coach is stronger than the results he has. I won more than 52 games this season. It is never enough. I don’t know really and I don’t care. I have other things to do now. To prepare my team for the semifinals against a very strong team”.
– Last but not least, we have a collection of compliments for Nikos Zisis. Coach Blatt has said that he would like his son to become like Nikos, what’s your compliment about him?
“I don’t like to come last, because everyone talks good about Nikos. I believe that Nikos, if I go to the NBA (that I will never go), I will take him with me. If I go to AEK, I’ll take him to AEK. He is the perfect player for the coach, because he thinks the same way. How to win the game, how to help his teammates and he has credit for the season that Goudelock has. He is MVP in VTB league and in Eurocup, but nobody remembers that he is a rookie. And it’s not easy for a rookie, to perform in Russia, 12.000 miles away from his home”.