PANAGIOTIS ANGELOPOULOS: We are the favorites for second place
In the twilight of Olympiacos’ Media Day and the presentation of the team, Panagiotis Angelopoulos spoke for the ERA Sport radio…
“We are here and we keep going. It’s not that now we know how sweet success tastes. It’s only that the pressure that has been on us for so many years has been lifted off our shoulders”, the administrative leader of Olympiacos commented at first and he was then asked whether he feels vindicated that the team chose the solution of creating something new: “All of these, about choosing between creating and picking from tried solutions are not absolutes. We had two tried solutions incorporating in December and we managed to succeed all that we did. It’s a fact that we invested in young players, but comes down to the right combination and timing is an important factor as well. We become wiser as we grow up”.
Commenting on a statement made by the President of Panathinaikos BC he said: “We absolutely agree with what Mr. Dimitris Giannakopoulos has said, as long as the Arbitration Appointing Committee is comprised the same way, we are the favorites to get second place. It was the same last year as well. Don’t forget that Mr. Tanatzis was ready for the fifth final at the Peace and Friendship Stadium”.
Mr. Panagiotis Angelopoulos also spoke about the rivalry between Olympiacos and Panathinaikos: “I don’t think that reporters want the rivalry to end. It depends what we mean by that. If there wasn’t for that rivalry, then there would have been no newspapers, no radios and no web sites. Keeping this rivalry in a civil context is good. We are glad that a member of the Giannakopoulos family continues leading the team and there is still going to be competition. We don’t need bad rivalry and that’s why we have been doing everything we can all these years, placing safety nets, participating in conferences with the Police, trying to keep the gym a safe place”.
About choosing coach Bartzokas to lead the team: “Olympiacos goals are known to everyone and there is no need to talk about them with the coach, who I believe was the best choice for Olympiacos”.
Finally, the President of the Club spoke about the team roster: “I think that Georgakis is going to be incorporated as well. We have the advantage of having one foreign player place empty, so if anything should happen during the season, we can go for it”.