By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
There’s no doubt that under Aggelopoulos – who has no relation to Aggelopoulos brothers, the owners of Olympiacos – AEK emerged as the third best team in Greece.
That’s reflected on the court and also in the financial aspect, as the club’s resources are the best available in Greece besides the two well-known exceptions of Olympiacos and Panathinaikos.
After a 3-4 start in the Basketball Champions League, coach Sotiris Manolopoulos, a well respected former player and longtime assistant, who even shared as interim coach at Panathinaikos, was fired today. The team already parted ways with French forward Bandha Sy, US guard Kelsey Barlow, son of the great Kenneth Barlow, may also be on the move and Greek forward Georgios Tsalbouris, who left Iowa State in order to become a pro in Greece, will finish the season on loan to Kolossos Rhodes.
AEK, which has a big fanbase and is one of the main sports clubs in Greece, has invested in young prospects – not only from Greece but also signed Bosnian Edin Atic – added some good US veterans, like Mike Green, but hasn’t yet found the right mix.
A big choice
AEK, which in the past was coached by Dusan Ivkovic, is trying to find the right man who will create a solid unit. In recent years Dragan Sakota, who was the last coach to win a Greek championship title with AEK back in 2002, and Jure Zdovc failed to get the job done. Sakota who is also serving as the GM of the team will be the interim head coach.
Is there a coach out there ready to take over? At this point, it doesn’t seem so.
AEK expected to be among the Basketball Champions League contenders, has a history of winning the Saporta Cup – twice – and has played in the European champions cup final, the predecessor of the modern EuroLeague, in 1998.
The tradition is there, the fans are there and the resources also. It’s just a matter of time and the right person to take over and make everything click. And that’s why the upcoming game against Olympiacos for the Greek league on Sunday can end up being a key point in AEK’s effort to return to past glories.