By Antonis Stroggylakis/ info@eurohoops.net
Vassilis Spanoulis will be facing Olympiacos, the team he made history with as a player, in Piraeus for the first time in his career as EuroLeague head coach on Thursday (27/3) when AS Monaco will be visiting the Greek side for Round 32 of the regular season.
It will surely be an emotional moment for EuroLeague legend Spanoulis in his return to the Peace and Friendship Stadium, where his #7 jersey was retired by Olympiacos back in September 2023.
“Unbelievable moments. It’s like my second home,” Spanoulis said about the upcoming game after Monaco’s win over Zalgiris Kaunas. “I lived inredible moments there, me and my family. Only love. It’s like my second family.”
In 2010, Spanoulis made the move to Olympiacos from archrival Panathinaikos Athens and played in Piraeus until 2020, when he retired from basketball. He established himself as an icon for the Reds, leading them to the back-to-back EuroLeague championship titles of 2012 and 2013, along with multiple Greek League and Cup trophies.
On an individual level, Spanoulis won 2012 and 2013 Final Four MVPs after claiming the award also with Panathinaikos in 2009. He was a EuroLeague season MVP in 2013 while being named to the All-EuroLeague Team six times for a total number of nine times throughout his career.
“I have incredible love from the fans, and I also feel the same for them,” Spanoulis added.“With the organization, with the presidents, with the staff and many players. It won’t be easy for me, but I am a professional. For 40 minutes, I have to forget about everything and focus on my team.”
Spanoulis’s second game at the helm of Monaco was an 80 – 89 home loss to Olympiacos in Round 13. With three games left in the regular season, the Monegasque team will look for both a payback and a victory that will bring them closer to securing a playoff spot and the homecourt advantage in the quarterfinals.