By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Ergin Ataman, the head coach of Panathinaikos Aktor and the senior national team of Turkiye, reviewed chants by Olympiacos supporters against his country.
“There was a lot of insulting against my country, during the game,” he said, referring to the crowd’s shouts at the Peace and Friendship Stadium in Game 4 of the Stoiximan GBL Finals 2025. “Again, nobody cared to stop them, the referees or the federation.”
The 59-year-old play-caller of the Greens previously addressed the issue, following Game 2 of a best-of-five series opposite the Reds. A concerning situation resurfaced when the series returned to SEF on Sunday evening, as confirmed by Ataman.
“Before the game, knowing what could happen, I talked to the Turkish ambassador and told him that I would remain silent today,” he described during a postgame press conference following a season-ending losing effort, “I already told him to inform the minister of foreign affairs about what happened in the Olympiacos arena, with these racist and insulting chants against my country.”
He later stormed out of the press conference after being asked to compare the obscene gesture of Evan Fournier toward supporters of Panathinaikos with Kendrick Nunn raising his middle fingers toward supporters of Olympiacos during a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague clash of the eternal rivals in March.
“If you accept such an unsportsmanlike action of the Olympiacos player as a journalist and you compare the finger signal by Kendrick Nunn, go do journalism on the other section,” he furiously rejected the question before leaving the press conference room.
Previously talking with Greek public television, ERT, Ataman congratulated Olympiacos for winning the Greek League but refused to include 32-year-old Fournier among praises.