By Stavros Barbarousis/ info@eurohoops.net
Panathinaikos struggling to get things going under the guidance of Montenegrin tactician Dejan Radonjic has reached the point of parting ways with the experienced head coach, according to Eurohoops sources.
Radonjic, 53, took over head coaching responsibilities after inking a two-year contract last June. A poor 8-16 record paints the picture of the efforts in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season. At 13-2 in Greece’s Basket League, the Greens trail rival Olympiacos by a margin of two games at the domestic level. But losing to the Reds in the semifinal of the Greek Cup’s Final 8 was the last straw.
Panathinaikos decided to cut ties with Radonjic but terminating his contract seems complicated. The outgoing head coach wants the compensation to include his salary for the current and next seasons. On the opposite end of negotiations, the Athens outfit is willing to pay the entire sum for the 2022-23 season and only a part of the 2023-24 season. Very early looks of a disagreement similar to the dragging situation regarding Andrew Andrews.
On a related note, the Greek giant has been linked to Gianmarco Pozzecco but denied rumors about approaching the current head coach of the Italy senior national team. However, FIP president Gianni Petrucci rushed to clarify the relationship between the Italian Basketball Federation and Pozzecco.
Looking at the schedule for the rest of the 2022-23 season and Round 25 of EuroLeague’s Regular Season, Radonjic is unlikely to be on the bench in the visit to EA7 Emporio Armani Milan Thursday.