By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Preparing for his fourth-ever EuroLeague Final Four, Ergin Ataman managed to drag Panathinaikos back to title contention after 12 years of absence, in his first season in Athens.
After a hectic 81-72 win against Maccabi Tel Aviv in Game 5 of their EuroLeague Playoffs series, the Turkish head coach showed all of his happiness. “We were successful in keeping the series in this incredible atmosphere. We’ve had an amazing season, we deserve this”, he first said.
Continuing talking in the post-game flash interview, he added satisfaction and pride. “We played great all season, we finished second in the regular season. We lost the first game but we never lost our confidence, we always believed in these players”, the former Anadolu Efes head coach commented.
Later on, closing the interview, he displayed his usual celebration. “And now I want to show these fists for all our fans, for all the Turkish people who are supporting me, and for Europe. We will be candidates for the EuroLeague title”, he finally ended up heading to Berlin.
In the post-game press conference, he added other words. “We did a great job, President [Recep Tayyip] Erdogan watched the game tonight. That’s the biggest friendly situation between Greece and Turkey”, he also added.
After losing the series opener to the Israeli powerhouse in OAKA, Ergin Ataman said he wouldn’t be Panathinaikos’ head coach in the following season if they didn’t make it to the EuroLeague Final Four. “I will be in Athens with Panathinaikos next year too”, he now said.
He also revealed a promise made to his players. “In the middle of the EuroLeague season, I told my players that if we finished the season in the 7th position, we would have gone to the Final Four. It was three months ago. We’re one of the best defensive teams in the EuroLeague, and we have incredible potential offensive players like Kostas Sloukas and Kendrick Nunn”, he said.