By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Ahead of the derby of the eternal enemies in Round 30 of the 2025-26 EuroLeague Regular Season, Olympiacos head coach Giorgos Bartzokas shared his perspective on the matchup against Panathinaikos Aktor. Despite facing a severely depleted rotation, the 60-year-old tactician remained confident in his available roster while offering a pointed critique of the narrative surrounding their rivals.
When asked about the pressure facing Panathinaikos, who are currently holding on to a spot in the Play-In Showdown zone with a 16-13 record, Bartzokas dismissed the idea that their lower seeding creates additional stress for them. “To be honest, I don’t know how they think at Panathinaikos,” Bartzokas remarked during Thursday’s pregame media session. “From what I’ve seen written, they believe they will win the EuroLeague. They even consider it a certainty. So, what pressure do they have for 10th place? That doesn’t apply.”
In response, Panathinaikos owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos apparently saw these comments and posted a story to his personal Instagram account: “Don’t get confused. We don’t believe. We know,” he wrote, essentially asserting his certainty that Panathinaikos will capture the EuroLeague title at the 2026 EuroLeague Final Four Athens presented by Etihad.
Shifting focus to the tactical challenge, Bartzokas acknowledged the depth of the Greens’ roster. “Our approach is specific. We only deal with the next game, which is tomorrow. It is very difficult and demanding. Panathinaikos is a very capable team with a lot of talent, and they played well against us previously,” he mentioned, referring to the recent clash in the championship game of Greece’s Allwyn Final 8.
With Olympiacos sitting third in the standings at 18-10, the Greek tactician emphasized that the home-court advantage at the Peace and Friendship Stadium would be a deciding factor. “We want to win at our home against a very special and difficult opponent, and we have all the motivation to do so. The environment will not be easy for them, just as it is not easy for us to play in their arena.”