By Mike Gkioulenoglou/ info@eurohoops.net
Ergin Ataman will no longer be the coach of Panathinaikos. After a difficult season, the Turkish coach is leaving his bench, while Zeljko Obradovic is on the top of Panathinaikos’ list of replacements.
Although Ataman is under a guaranteed contract for the upcoming 2026–2027 season, the club has decided not to continue with his services.
“I’m proud to work for Panathinaikos”, Ataman said next to Giannakopoulos on a video published on Panathinaikos social meda.
“I’m proud to have won these three years these four amazing cups, including the Euroleague title”, the Turkish coach said.
Ergin Ataman:
"I'm proud to work with Panathinaikos. Now it's time for a new era…"
Dimitris Giannakopoulos:
"Ergin was, is, and always be my favorite person in European basketball"
"If we didn't have this war against us, these titles would be more"
(via @Paobcgr) https://t.co/5F3KSoPEfk pic.twitter.com/hEa88Gxc6V
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) June 15, 2026
“In all my life I’ll remember these days, amazing support from the Panathinaikos family“, Ataman continued. “I’m proud also for the contribution that I tried to give between the two countries, between Turkey and Greece, and I’m very satisfied for all the people I had in Greece, but now it’s time for a new era for all of us“, he said.
“It was a dream to work with Ergin”, Giannakopoulos stated. “He was, is, and always be my favourite person in European basketball. That would never change”, he said next to Ataman.
“I had a dream after my father and uncle stepped away. I wanted to bring an european title. We were in the 17h position last, and I convinced the best coach to come to Panathinaikos. He took us from the 17h position to the top of Europe in one year“, Giannakopoulos continued.
“The rest of the years fighting, because we’re both fighters. Fighting against the system. I’m very proud for these four titles“, he said. “If we didn’t have this war against us, these titles would be more“, Giannakopoulos concluded.
Following a challenging conclusion to the 2025–26 season, the Greens managed to add just one trophy to their collection, the Greek Cup. This solitary domestic triumph has done little to ease the mounting pressure after a season defined by significant setbacks, most notably the team’s absence from the 2026 EuroLeague Final Four Athens, presented by Etihad, and a painful defeat in the best-of-five championship series of Greece’s Stoiximan GBL Playoffs 2025.
The Istanbul native initially joined Panathinaikos in 2023. He went on to secure the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague title in 2024, his third following back-to-back championships with Anadolu Efes in 2021 and 2022. Domestically, his efforts ultimately yielded one GBL title alongside two Cup trophies.
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