By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
The Greek finals start on Friday, there are already minor skirmishes outside the court – Olympiacos left the security measures meeting for Game 2 in OAKA and the club was punished with a 10.000 euros fine for slander against Panathinaikos during the celebrations in Piraeus for the Euroleague title, while team manager Milan Tomic was punished with a “severe scolding” for the same reason – however the owner of the Greens, Dimitris Giannakopoulos (photo), continues to make headlines with something that seems to be a non-issue.
A known shock site in Greece implied, without any evidence of course, that there might be doping in Greek basketball. Giannakopoulos reacted immediately, asking publicly for a full doping control to every player of both finalists in order “to dissolve any shadows”. One day latter, in the official press conference for the finals, the coach of Olympiacos, Giorgos Bartzokas also said that his team passed already many doping test this season, specially before the Euroleague Final Four, but he doesn’t have any problem with the idea of one more, giving not only urine but also blood samples.
The national board against doping (ESKAN) replied that it will continue its regular doping test, because the law is specific about this matter and by taking blood samples there is a risk of injuring the veins of a player just before the finals. After all, the “news” were less than concrete and purely posted for shock value.
However, Giannakopoulos still wants extra doping controls before and after every final and send a letter asking them to ESKAN, that was also received by the Greek prime minister Antonis Samaras, the deputy minister of sports and former basketball coach Giannis Ioannidis, the league and the basketball federation. Still, until further notice, the doping control procedure will be carried on as usual.