By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
On his last week’s visit to Thesaloniki for the Eurocup game of Limoges against PAOK, president Frederick Forte was asked about the dispute with former coach of the team, Panagiotis Giannakis, and his answer was that Giannakis was send off from the team, because he decided to coach the national team of China.
However the situation according to Giannakis’ side is quite different:
- Giannakis decided to be the coach the Chinese national team on April 2013 after getting the verbal approval of Forte and that’s why he signed a part time contract with the Chinese federation which was fully addapted to the schedule of the French club.
- He also added a special clause in his chinese contract, in which his obligations with Limoges were always considered a priority.
- During the negotiation between Giannakis and Forte, the president of Limoges had promised him that he will be free to sign also a part time contract with any national team. Forte’s stance suddenly changed, after Giannakis deal with the Chinese federation, he started making negative comments about him in the media and he asked via a legal procedure from Giannakis to return to Limoges from China on the 4th of August of 2013, despite a scheduled return on the 15th of August of the same year, the same date that the preparation of Limoges for the upcoming season had started also in the summer of 2012.
- On the 11th of June 2013, Forte asked the contract of Giannakis to be voided, because of a supposed “serious misconduct” from the side of the coach. Αfter “trapping” the Greek coach, he also sued Giannakis for damages on the 19th of June 2013 in order to prevent him from defending his rights and claim his legal compensation according to his contract.
- On the 11th of July 2013 Giannakis sued back Limoge asking also for damages in order to defend himself.