By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Giannis Sfairopoulos is not coaching in the EuroLeague this year, but he remains present in the competition as the vice president of the EuroLeague Head Coaches Board. And in an era of changes, the EuroLeague coaches are ready to contribute and help when needed.
“We need the EuroLeague Head Coaches Board because we have to talk about the problems we face as EuroLeague coaches, we have to improve the conditions for EuroLeague coaches, we must have a way to voice our opinion in all EuroLeague matters because our role as coaches is very important in each club”. explains Sfairopoulos who gets even more specific.
Coaches know first and foremost what are the challenges of a long season and that players must be protected: “We need to work on the calendar, we have to settle the issues with the FIBA windows, we have to know when we will have our players available and to protect them. It’s very important to find a solution and move forward as a sport in general”.
At the same time, with the EHCB now open to include EuroLeague assistant coaches and also EuroCup head and assistant coaches, Sfairopoulos explains what he feels his mission is as the vice-president: “Both former president Zeljko Obradovic and vice-president Pablo Laso did a great job. It wasn’t easy to start such a project. We want to continue their work, we have the same intention, to help coaches and we hope that can make at least one more step forward”.
And while the EHCB is also a professional union, it’s more than that. There’s a different spirit, evident already in the last few years, between EuroLeague coaches and Sfairopoulos explains why: “I think that there are a lot of benefits of being part of the EuroLeague Head Coaches Board. However, the biggest – and it’s priceless – it’s the camaraderie we have as members, the fact that we meet in the summer at our congress in a totally different environment and we create bonds in a very different mood, which is carried on the court during the season. This is something that Zeljko started, it was his idea to meet together with our families in such a way and it worked. We now want to be together and face our issues together. This is something that everyone should want”.
And since the new season starts, coach Sfairopoulos had a message to everyone involved: “I want to wish the best for the season to all players, officials, and of course coaches”.