By John Rammas/ info@eurohoops.net
Zeljko Obradovic and Dimitris Itoudis, working together at Panathinaikos between 1999 and 2012, pushed the Greens to win the EuroLeague not once, not twice, not three times, not four times, but five times. Their success went into the championships of 2000, 2002, 2007, 2009, and 2011, five out of the seven continental triumphs in team history, besides 1996 and 2024.
“I’m very happy that we are back on this court, where we worked together for 13 years,” said the 65-year-old Serbian coach of Partizan Mozzart Bet, a EuroLeague champion in 1992 with Partizan, 1994 with Joventut, 1995 with Real Madrid, and 2017 with Fenerbahce as well, noting for the umpteenth time one of the secrets was that the current president of the EuroLeague Head Coaches Board and head coach of Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv was an assistant coach with the freedoms of a head coach.
It is no coincidence that Itoudis went on to win the Euroleague again as the play-caller of CSKA in 2016 and 2019, as well as the EuroCup as the head coach of Hapoel Aviv in 2024 to lead the Israeli club into Europe’s premier club continental competition for the first time in team history.
For the Zeljko Obradovic vs Dimitris Itoudis Masterclass – “PAO Offense and Defense” on the fourth and final day of the EHCB Coaches Congress 2025 in Athens, the reunion on Sunday also sparked some fitting jokes.
13 years later, back at OAKA!
Željko Obradović and @ItoudisD together again, this time facing off in a tactical masterclass on @Paobcgr‘s offensive and defensive identity! pic.twitter.com/YPOJcyt4kb
— EuroLeague Head Coaches Board – EHCB (@HeadCoachesOrg) July 6, 2025
“Do you know anything?”
Using recent news about a possible move of Jonas Valanciunas to Panathinaikos Aktor in his analysis, Obradovic wondered if one of the assisting players could be the 33-year-old Lithuanian center on the court during the Masterclass. “Do you know who Valanciunas is? There are a lot of rumors about Valanciunas,” he jokingly added to his request.
“Do you know anything? Do you have any information?”, continued Itoudis, with Obradovic struggling to contain laughter.