By Alex Molina/ amolina@eurohoops.net
According to a report by MARCA, Valencia Basket is ready to deny access to Dimitris Giannakopoulos at the Roig Arena if the Greek millionaire attempts to attend Wednesday’s decisive EuroLeague playoff clash against Panathinaikos.
The fifth and final game of the EuroLeague playoff series is being described by many Valencia supporters as the most important in the club’s history, with a place in the organization’s first-ever Final Four at stake, but it is also crucial for the Greek side, as the Final Four will be played in their own arena.
Giannakopoulos, the outspoken owner of Panathinaikos, is currently serving a EuroLeague suspension that includes a €10,000 fine and a three-game arena ban after confronting referees courtside during the second game of the series. Despite the sanction, he recently suggested on Instagram that Valencia should ask the EuroLeague to lift the punishment so he could attend the winner-takes-all matchup.
“I hope Valencia now submits a request so that I can watch the fifth game, which will decide which of us will be the fourth team at the Final Four in Athens,” Giannakopoulos wrote on social media, adding that he believed “all parties in basketball would unanimously agree.”
He also traveled to the Valencia, posting his whereabouts on Instagram.
MARCA reports that sources within Valencia Basket confirmed the club has no intention of making such a request and will instead enforce the EuroLeague’s disciplinary ruling.
Security personnel working at the Roig Arena — particularly around VIP entrances, hospitality areas, and executive boxes — have reportedly been instructed to increase surveillance to prevent Giannakopoulos from entering the venue.
The report notes that attending anonymously as a regular fan in the stands would be difficult to detect, although Giannakopoulos previously dismissed such a possibility.
“If I had wanted to be in the arena, I would have been there in person, not behind a mask. I am not a coward,” he said after earlier games in the series.
Under Article 23 of the EuroLeague disciplinary code, violating the arena ban could expose Giannakopoulos to additional penalties ranging from €30,000 to €280,000.
Valencia Basket has confirmed to Eurohoops that there will be no special security arrangements for Dimitris Giannakopoulos, who will not be granted entry or accreditation due to his suspension.