By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
In a quick turnaround from Panathinaikos Aktor releasing a team announcement before Game 4 of the Stoiximan Basket League Finals, Olympiacos delivered a response later Tuesday, adding to the public arguments between the front office of the archrivals across a best-of-five series to crown the league champion in Greece.
Ahead of the next clash with the Greens, the Reds warned against incidents that disrupt the path to winning the Basket League championship.
With the team coached by Giorgos Bartzokas up 2-1, Game 4 will be held in the Peace and Friendship Stadium, SEF, on Wednesday.
Per the press release: “To Game 4 of the championship series tomorrow, it is now clear that we are dealing with an organized plan to challenge and disrupt our team, our athletes, and our fans with the announced presence of the Panathinaikos owner at SEF and their provocative announcement released earlier today.
It is clear that they do not trust their team and are using any legal or illegal means to achieve their goal at any cost.
There is a lack of any other explanation for the presence at the home of our team, in the most crucial game, of a person who does not attend the Finals held in the home of his team.
How else to explain the insincere reactions of the rival team in ‘ensuring a normal game’, after Dimitris Giannakopoulos himself with his usual vulgarity defamed the Government, the sports authorities, and the referees, clearly inciting violence which he now hypocritically condemns?
Olympiacos and team management do not accept pointers from these people. We have displayed our principles and vision to always ensure a normal game, despite all the challenges.
To protect the sport from the criminal and unsportsmanlike behavior of Dimitris Giannakopoulos, Olympiacos has appealed to all judicial and institutional authorities, requesting the implementation of the Law.
We call on our thousands of fans not to respond to the challenges that we are certain and premeditated to face.
ONLY with our VOICE, PASSION, and LOVE, we will push our team to a fair win and capture the championship.
Panathinaikos and Dimitris Giannakopoulos will then receive the answer they fear and expect, only on the floor.”
Meanwhile, Panathinaikos asked the trio of referees to change, stating that two of them have been part of the official complaint towards the Greek sports authorities against Panathinaikos for comments made on social media by the club owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos which can be considered detrimental for the sport.