By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
In professional sports you need money in order to create a successful team, but money don’t always bring happiness or success. That’s what Dimitris Diamantidis believes one week before the Euroleague semifinal game against CSKA Moscow.
Panathinaikos’ captain did a live chat together with Giorgos Printezis from Olympiacos in Adidas Basketball facebook page, he answered to fans’ questions and the cost of CSKA’s roster doesn’t faze him: “Budgets don’t count, specially in the Final Four. In knock out games everything can happen. Olympiacos has reduced its budget last summer, but qualified in the Final Four, something that didn’t happen last year”.
Printezis was eager to agree: “Budgets are just for the fans. If a team works well as a unit, then it got a chance. Because of the reduced budgets many young Greek players had the chance to showcase their talent”.
Diamantidis opinion about CSKA is, as anybody would expect, respectful: “We want badly to play in the final, but we know that we have to beat a very strong and complete team. We will have to be really focused, we will have to play a good game and if we deserve it, then we will be in the final. The match will be decided on details. For sure CSKA has the advantage, but mistakes and luck will play their roles”.
Printezis was also asked about the consequences of the results in Istanbul to the Greek Finals, where Panathinaikos and Olympiacos will duel for their domestic championship: “I don’t know if it will be positive or negative, it depends from the Final Four results, but there will be an effect to the Finals. It would be better for us to play more games until the Final Four and not wait two weeks after the end of the Greek play offs semifinals, but this Sunday is national election day in Greece and we could so much”.