Interview by John Askounis / info@eurohoops.net
AEK’s new head coach Luca Banchi talks to Eurohoops and admits that joining the team was an easy decision, especially since his communication with the club’s president Mr. Aggelopoulos was made easy, due to the latter’s fluent Italian! Though of course lack of language barrier wasn’t the only motive behind his decision.
“AEK reputation and the chance to match my name with such a prestigious and ambitious program”, tells coach Banchi on Eurohoops.
Speaking of AEK’s goals for the new season, the Italian coach stays realistic: “It’s a very challenging season because AEK is coming off from one of its most successful seasons ever. It’s tough to compare the future with what they did last year. We feel the responsibility to be deserving of AEK’s reputation not only in Greece but also in Europe.”
The new Basketball Champions League season is upon us and AEK has a tough job ahead: “Our group in BCL is very competitive, new teams are coming in. Unfortunately, we have some of the best teams inside our group, teams that look more than EuroLeague teams than BCL teams.”
Banchi is the first Italian coach to take seize of AEK’s bench. A special moment for all parties involved, as he explains: “It’s special for me. The day I arrived in Athens I saw the picture of all AEK’s ex-coaches in the office and the president told me that no matter what the outcome, one day my picture will also be there.”
Watch the full interview below: