Reporting from Istanbul: Stavros Barbarousis
The Greens got early into the mood of the game, traveling from Athens aboard one of the Turkish Airlines planes and thinking about the win that can help them rise even more in the standings. There are no injury woes for the Greeeks and coach Xavi Pascual included all his players in the short trip to Istanbul.
The flight aboard one of the vessels of the leading airline which is also the major sponsor of the competition was more than comfortable and allowed the players to relax before their arrival to the “Ataturk” airport. The security measures upon their arrival were obvious, due to the visit of German Chancellor Angela Merkel in Istanbul.
An employee of the Greek Embassy who had come to the airport to greet the team of Panathinaikos Superfoods helped them avoid some of the traffic in the passport controls as the team moved directly from the airport to the “Abdi Ipekci” Arena for the last practice before the game.
According to coach Pascual the game should be treated as a “final” for his players and it remains to be seen how his team will react on the road, since Panathinaikos so far performs much better at home.
After their practice, Panathinaikos left for the luxurius “Renaissance Polat” hotel on the European side of Istanbul, whih is overlooking the Marmara sea.
The Greens felt right at hime, as the hotel management had provided the loung with a signer who interpreted some of the classic Greek song…