By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
After starting the season 5-0 in the Basketball Champions League, things went downhill for AEK.
Entering a crisis of results in the Greek league, players like Mfiondu Kabengele and Ben McLemore left the club, and later on, Spanish head coach Joan Plaza was fired.
Now, the former Unicaja Malaga’s head coach gave his part of the story. “It’s surprising that in 2024 things like this could happen. I thought they were reality only 30 years ago”, he first commented to Esports BDN.
🎙️La etapa de Joan Plaza en AEK Atenas
“Sorprende que en 2024 pasen cosas que yo sabía que pasaban hace 30 años. A mí y a los norte-americanos eran 2 meses de retraso en el pago, 4 a los jugadores griegos y 7 al staff. La exigencia es la misma cobres o no.”🎥 @Esports_bdncom pic.twitter.com/ulHmb0d4PU
— Mario Gómez (@gomezmario7) March 2, 2024
Then, he addressed financial and ethical problems. “They were late two months in payment for me and the American players, four months for the Greek players, and seven months for the staff. And they were expecting the same, being paid or not being paid”, Joan Plaza added.
Currently 8th in the Greek league with a 7-11 record, the yellow-and-black team is currently on a four-game losing streak in the Basketball Champions League, being 0-3 in the Round of 16 despite having added Brandon Knight.
Later on the day, AEK’s response arrived with an official press release, commenting they would take legal action against the Spanish head coach fired midway through the season.
AEK’s official response to Joan Plaza
“Out of respect for his old path, and because by choice we did not enter the process in the middle of the season – with the Team fighting – to reveal real incidents that caused the “divorce”, even taking on responsibilities that are not ours, we do not we are going to respond directly to what our former coach “declared”, although it surprises us why he chose now, after so long, and before crucial matches of our Team to speak…
A regular tactic of the AEK BETSSON BC Management was/is not to respond to some coaches/athletes who wore the shirt of our Team regardless of what they might have said after their flight, and we were unfairly and savagely “beaten up” by media. This tactic of ours was not appreciated, however.
Immunity for slanderers is over!
Those who like MONSTER LIES and oppose the interests and dignity of A.E.K. will now be brought to justice. Our former coach will be the first to suffer the consequences of the Law, at his own risk. After the end of the competition season, we will take a detailed look at what happened or what didn’t happen. For now, we have to focus on our goals. PS: We will get back to you regarding our legal actions”.
PHOTO CREDIT: Basketball Champions League