The Angelopoulos interview
Immediately following the Press Conference of the Greek Cup Final, the owners of Olymiacos BC spoke to the Media representatives…
THE ORIGINAL STATEMENT
GIORGOS ANGELOPOULOS: Tonight basketball lost; unfortunately it was vagrancy that won. I think we should all be happy that Hines was not more seriously injured or anyone else for that matter. This is not basketball, this is not sports. I think that what has happened tonight have escaped the tight boundaries of sports and it is only fair to say a few things about how this whole thing started and how we came to this, without having to refer to way back. On Monday, Olympiacos clearly bested Panathinaikos at the Peace and Friendship Stadium, the officiating had been impeccable, the atmosphere all the same. This was acknowledged by everyone, by Panathinaikos, by the referee’s commissioner, who stated that all three refs had been very good in that particular game. I believe you all know about these. There was also that gesture from our part, when we welcomed the President of Panathinaikos in the gym and I believe this had been very helpful, as to calm everyone down, maintain a civil atmosphere and be able to only talk about basketball from that point on. Some don’t see eye to eye with us on that gesture, they are entitled to their opinion.
On our way to the Press Conference following the end of the game, just like all the other times we went to watch a Press Conference, we were informed that the Panathinaikos President had attacked the referees’ locker rooms, accompanied by men of his personal security. I’m 38 going to 39 years of age; I don’t remember something like that ever happening again at the Peace and Friendship Stadium, although it may have of course, if you say so. There using vulgar and totally unacceptable language he attacked the three referees. One of the TV channels present played the video of what happened the same night, while some other channels did not. The referee of the game, the same night, composed an additional report where he states exactly what happened and what was said. The ref states that the Panathinaikos President is the “inventor of vagrancy”. I believe that the two umpires followed with additional reports the next day.
Then attacks of the referees’ houses started. Ringing bells, throwing stones, we are talking about criminal activities. According to what was published by the Press some referees and their families had stopped sleeping in their own homes, have changed residence following these incidents. An atmosphere of terror has been created in contrast to the atmosphere in the gym during the game, a great atmosphere acknowledged by the entire club of Panathinaikos, expressed so even at the Press Conference by both the coaches and the players. I think everybody attested to that. At the same time, one floor below in the gym, Mr. Giannakopoulos was threatening the refs by telling them that they were going to find him in their way and many other things that should not be repeated. Then the refs’ homes were attacked with rocks. I don’t know what the athletic prosecutor has done on the matter; I believe we are going to learn about it tomorrow. Following the incident with the refs’ homes, the Central Arbitration Committee seems to have decided on changing the draw and appointment procedure for the referees in regard to tonight’s game. We have been informed by the Media, as was the case last year following the Las Palmas convention that something has changed again. Instead of drawing from a pool of eight referees, as was the commitment made by the Central Arbitration Committee in the beginning of the season, it seems that there was a draw from a pool of four. Probably after rocks were thrown against a referee’s house, some refs may have asked not to be included. The terror climate was enforced, three referees were drawn out of four, and you have witnessed what tonight’s officiating had been. You are the ones to judge the level of the officiating and why this was. I don’t want to expand on this, the coach said it all, when Spanoulis and Law have together shot two free throws and Diamantidis alone has shot 12, I think we are getting into details and we are going to miss the substance. You can decide whether the officiating has been up to standards.
The thing is that tonight the issue goes beyond officiating and we have had to deal with a different kind of situation, naming the flare hitting Hines. The important thing is that he’s fine, how he managed to get on the floor and play is whole different story. The important thing is that he’s fine. Everyone is talking about the allocation of the tickets. I imagine you wish to know. It was done the same like every year. Just like it was done in the Final Fours and everyone know who the Olympiacos that went there are. Also, about the Cup Finals, Nikos has the list of names which is at your disposal as well as to the Police’s disposal; it is perfectly clear who came and where they were seated. I think that the problem tonight started from the VIP section, where the accredited members and those having invitations were seated. We have gotten 50 invitations that were solely disposed to our players’ families. You saw who were left in the gym following its evacuation and what happened afterwards. You all witnessed from that point on who entered the center of the court coming from the VIPs, I think this has never been done before and they remained in the gym and in the Panathinaikos sector following the evacuation. You all saw what happened.
Following the evacuation, as you all witnessed, the Panathinaikos President chose to enter the court and behave in the manner you’ve all witnessed and was confirmed by the Olympiacos players, the coach and the staff. He was clearly and explicitly threatening the refs.
PANAGIOTIS ANGELOPOULOS: I will be coming to your house like I did at Piloeidis’.
GIORGOS ANGELOPOULOS: And even worse.
PANAGIOTIS ANGELOPOULOS: What we are telling you were witnessed by our athletes, they are not our words.
GIORGOS ANGELOPOULOS: We could not hear what was being said. Where we are right now, there are only two options. One is for to become thugs. Have people going after referees, threaten them, beat them, beat reporters, because it’s time we only speak open and stop hiding. Many of you have been assaulted at your homes, your work and in stadium parking. And although there have been investigations, no one has been arrested yet. But I think there are going to be arrests. So, one option is to start attacking refs, journalists, storm the court, and grab referees by their necks. It may be that some fans might even like that and wish we did it. This is the option of becoming thugs, let’s be clear about it. Storm officials’ locker rooms, threaten them before games, you know how this thing goes, most of you have been here longer than we have.
The other option is to change nothing in what we’ve been doing. Stay as is. Achieve our goals the way we’ve been achieving them up to now, without changing anything in our values, our character and our stand in life. We go with the second option. That’s what I’ve said to my players in the locker rooms. Whatever this may mean, we are not going to change, and we are not going to become those people that behave that way. I believe it is clearly a matter for the State and the Authorities to look into sports, intervene and deal with what’s been happening. Olympiacos can do nothing to prevent something like that. We have been accused numerous times about the way we have been allocating game tickets that we only give them to season ticket holders, sponsors, you all know about these, you are hearing this from me now. You know what happened in Istanbul at the Final Four. So, our choice is to go on the same way, we have complete faith in our team and I think that there is nothing to be said tonight about the game itself, who won and who lost. The game could have been interrupted. Many of you say, and you are maybe right, that the game should have never started. The coaches have talked about the game itself; there is no point for us to talk about it.
It’s really a pity for Greek Sports to have slumped to such low levels and for no one to show any reaction and I’m clearly talking about the prosecutors and the State.
PANAGIOTIS ANGELOPOULOS: My brother has covered for what I had wanted to say in almost about everything. Tonight, it may be that Panathinaikos is celebrating winning a Cup, his graphic President dressed in black who curses the officials behind the basket may be celebrating, but vagrancy is sole winner tonight and not basketball. Most from what we have told you tonight, we had known before even the game began, except for the show that is that uncle and nephew offered during the game. We had known about the week of terror lived by the refs, we were determined to tell you about it even if we had won the Cup. I want to be clear about it, so I don’t have to read nonsense tomorrow. We would talk to you about it all even if we had won the Cup.
ON WHETHER THEY AGREE FOR THE FINAL TO BE TAKING PLACE ONLY IN THE PRESENCE OF STUDENTS, VETERANS AND ATHLETES
PANAGIOTIS ANGELOPOULOS: We had procured that solution two years ago, the reason this was not put into effect is that because the Federation and the Police did not approve for the students guardians to be present. That is an absolute mockery. We are positive about this, for the gym to be full of kids and athletes. I think this story has to end in the following years. Are the Turks smarter than us? Let’s call women and children to the gym. When the accreditations are allocated to Gate 13 and then Mr. Golemis is calling us to come out for the Cup ceremony for the good of the sport, they should stop messing with our intelligence. We should stand for the ceremony to benefit the sport, while at the same time Gate 13 is in the gym. We should please be a little serious.
ON WHETHER ACCORDING TO THE REGULATIONS OLYMPIACOS SHOULD FORFEIT THE GAME DUE TO THE INJURY TO HINES
CHRISTOS STAVROPOULOS: When the injury took place and we addressed the commissioner of the game, he told us that they had witnessed nothing. When those responsible for the game tell you they have seen nothing… The commissioner himself… They ought to be in the gym from the beginning, from the time the teams enter the floor to warm up and especially during the Olympiacos – Panathinaikos games and instead they declare that have seen nothing, so what kind of regulations are we talking about?
GIORGOS ANGELOPOULOS: At that time you cannot know what is about to come. You try to appease the fans, you keep your fingers crossed and hope for the spirits to calm down and for the game to end and that everyone will be fine at the end. You cannot know who are those seated in the VIPs and what they are about to do. At that moment we had no idea what was going to happen. It’s easy to judge the aftermath.
CHRISTOS STAVROPOULOS: The commissioner of the game never came to the locker rooms to see for himself whether the player was injured or not. Those were the people in charge of the game tonight. He never even wanted to come to the locker rooms and determine what was going on. You know what he told us? That he can write in his report at the end, that “the player was injured according to his statement”. Just unbelievable.
ON WHETHER IT HAD BEEN THEIR CHOICE NOT TO MAKE A STATEMENT IN THE DAYS PRECEDING THE GAME AS TO NOT ESCALATE REACTIONS
GIORGOS ANGELOPOULOS: When the President of Panathinaikos came to the gym, we said nothing so as to not polarize the fans. We should not be forgetting that the Panathinaikos President is also the owner of the “Prasini” newspaper. And they have published certain front pages on which there have been court decisions, so he wasn’t just the President of Panathinaikos, he was also the owner of “Prasini”. If we talk about violence in general, about fans violence and who cultivates that kind of violence, then I think that fan Press has a part in this all. I think we are all going to agree on this.
ON WHETHER THEY SPOKE WITH ANYONE FROM THE FEDERATION TO FIND OUT HOW THE PANATHINAIKOS ACCREDITATIONS HAD BEEN FOUND IN THE WRONG HANDS
PANAGIOTIS ANGELOPOULOS: Our friends left the gym because they did not have accreditations, while the guys from Gate 13 were allowed to stay. The only one that came to us was Mr. Golemis who was pleading with us to attend the Cup award ceremony, because otherwise “the sport would be at a loss”. This is the only thing that mattered to him. And he also threatened us with sanctions and I don’t know what else.
PANAGIOTIS ANGELOPOULOS: His uncle (i.e of the Panathinaikos President) was hollering during the interruption that the game should be interrupted at the expense of Olympiacos. That is the kind of uncle that has taught him all he knows.
ON THE STATEMENTS MADE BY DIMITRIS GIANNAKOPOULOS DURING THE INTERRUPTION
GIORGOS ANGELOPOULOS: You mean he made statements in his own web site? That’s his prerogative.
PANAGIOTIS ANGELOPOULOS: Prasini should raise its circulation numbers a little bit tomorrow.
ON WHETHER THEY ARE SCEPTICAL ABOUT HOW THE FANS ARE GOING TO REACT IN VIEW OF THE PLAY-OFFS FINALS
GIORGOS ANGELOPOULOS: Of course we are troubled, but as I told you, we have done what was to be done. We have reached a certain point, there is nothing beyond that. The situation is better in the last couple of years, we have placed a double safety net in the Peace and Friendship Stadium, I think it’s about five acres. Something like that has never been placed in OAKA. Only last year there was a semi-double, let’s call it that, somewhere in the middle, so that tin cans thrown from down under could reach target. Olympiacos has placed a double net along three quarters of the gym. Five acres of net. All meetings and communications that had to be done were made, so that no one would get hurt, so that the atmosphere wasn’t going to be polarized, and we have endured unbelievable situations. Unbelievable things have been done. It’s not in the best interest of the sport to always talk about them. We reached a point that we announced our withdrawal and whoever read our statement could understand what has been happening with basketball, whoever hasn’t understand, we are here to ask us. Because some you had interpreted our withdrawal announcement in a different manner, so we are here to explain ourselves. Just read it again.
ON THE ALLOCATION OF THE TICKETS
GIORGOS ANGELOPOULOS: Just look at the way the tickets were allocated during the Final Four. Hadn’t you been in Berlin? And in Paris. And Istanbul. You saw who was there, how they went and what they paid to go there. What else is there to say? Basketball died tonight. When the President of the Federation is not even at the gym and the Vice President has other matters to deal with. The Vice President, who is also the best man of Zavlanos (i.e. member of the Central Arbitration Committee) and tries to make deals with players when in the Federation. He can come out and deny it if he wishes so. This where it all comes down to. We have to realize what has happened. Mr. Kolokythas is approaching players and tells them they should change agents so he can take them to Panathinaikos. Someone is right here. It is either I who say so, or it is I that I’m wrong. I dare him to come out and deny this; otherwise we have an issue here. I have read what has been written and I have to tell you that your information is not 100% accurate. It’s not Mr. Manos Papadopoulos who has tried to do that. He hadn’t even been at the Federation’s offices. Manos is not to blame for everything.
GIORGOS ANGELOPOULOS: I have told you that during the Berlin Final Four, the Paris Final Four, the Istanbul Final Four there had been a certain procedure that had been announced from the Olympiacos official web page in time and defined who was eligible to buy tickets and those were the people that watched the Final Fours. Tonight the same procedure that applies for Cup Finals applied also. A similar procedure including season ticket holders, sponsors, families, fans that own season tickets, either in fan clubs or not. We are not going to become the Police. The Police have checked all the names. It would be for the best if the lists became public. Olympiacos is not entitled perform controls at the gates.
PANAGIOTIS ANGELOPOULOS: You are not paying attention to the accreditations and the invitations of the Federation that were seated at the VIPs. That’s where the interruption was caused from. That’s where all evil was initiated from.
GIORGOS ANGELOPOULOS: I think that vagrancy has joined the VIPs. At least for tonight.
ON WHAT THE ANGELOPOULOS BROTHERS COULD HAVE DONE TO PREVENT THESE INCIDENTS
GIORGOS ANGELOPOULOSThe difference tonight is that we have left the brainless thug, the hooligan and we moved to another level. A little different one. The ownership level.
The State has the means to prevent. Do you want me to arrest people? The State has the means to clean sports. They know how. We shouldn’t expand now because we are going to move to a different territory. It may be that things we don’t know about are taking place. We cannot be aware of what is going on with all those investigations taking place.
I told you that we have done all we could. We have taken action, but at this point we are, only the State can produce results. There is nothing more we can do. No one has ever helped us. Each one can speculate all they want.