By Konstantinos Velitsikakis/ info@eurohoops.net
Imagine that you want to enjoy a nice and relaxed Saturday coffee somewhere in the Netherlands and you bump, not in one, not two, but in six Dutch fans of Panathinaikos. Or, what if you are a fan of Malaga and you meet two of these fans, seating right next to the court of Martin Carpena. Well, that is not just an imagination, that is a story of true devotion, the story of Ronald, Hans, Paul, Andreas, Martijn and Roy, who are big fans of Panathinaikos, despite that they leave in Utrecht, the Netherlands.
They declared their friendship almost 25 years ago and since 2007 they all share one more common aspect in their lives, the love for the Greens. Ronald is also a part time coach for the Utrecht Basketball Academy.
The “coach” along with Hans, Paul and Andreas talked to Eurohoops about their experience of being Panathinaikos fans, sharing their thoughts for the team and making predictions for this amazing Euroleague season.
– It may sound strange to others, but you as Dutch, how did you end up following basketball, even though it is not so popular in the Netherlands?
Ronald: “In the Netherlands, football is the number one sport and personally, I used to play football. However, basketball is much more dynamic, faster, every moment is so important, every possession matters and that makes it different and more interesting. Unfortunately, there are no real professional clubs in the Netherlands. The Dutch league is descend, but it cannot be compared to the Greek or the Spanish league, or the NBA”.
Hans: “We started playing basketball at the age of 15, so when you play basketball and practice in a frequent basis, then you start following it more and more. And here we are…”
Paul: “I like the quality of Euroleague basketball, is much better than the Dutch level and that is a reason why I love the sport”.
Andreas: “For me it is totally different, since I am Greek. Thus, basketball came directly from the family at the early age of 9. I had the chance to live the experience of the European championship back in ’87. I was also lucky, because a couple of years ago the Greek cable TV was broadcasting in Utrecht and we had the chance to watch at least one game every weekend”!
– What made you follow Panathinaikos?
Ronald: “I used to watch the games broadcasted in the Greek cable TV, so at some point I noticed Antonis Fotsis, when he was younger. He was playing hard, I liked this way of playing, so I picked Panathinaikos! On the other hand, Andreas’ family played a role in my final decision. And in 2007 we were at OAKA for the Euroleague’s Final Four… if someone had been in that game, it is hard then not to be a Panathinaikos fan! Every basket was celebrated as if the Dutch national team would have scored in the world cup final, amazing! One of the best games I have ever watched!”
Hans: “It was back in 2006, when I and the guys visited the island of Kos -when I also bought Diamantidis’ jersey-. After a short discussion we decided to attend the Euroleague finals in 2007, which took place in Athens. It was crazy watching 25.000 fans shouting and singing for their team, hanging from each and every inch of their seats. A couple of months later, we visited Athens the three of us (together with Ronald and Andreas). After we came back, Paul and another friend of ours (Martijn) expressed their interest that next time they would join us too. So, that became a tradition for us. As for Panathinaikos, I really like how the club handles the sport. Basketball is an art and the people who are in charge know what basketball is. This is verified every year, not only by the player transfers, but also by the results and accomplishments at the end of each year. I met my girlfriend in 2008, that year we made a trip to Athens and, guess what? We attended a Panathinaikos’ game”!
Andreas: “I grew up in Athens and I used to live next to the football stadium of Panathinaikos. I started watching football games, even historic games like the one against Juventus. Inevitably, the coming years were full of basketball, when Peristeri and Aris where strong teams”.
– Who is your favorite player?
Ronald: “I have a few to be honest. I did not have the chance to watch too much of Alvertis, unfortunately, but I was amazed by the way he lead the team as a captain. But in the end, I love Batiste! This season he plays quite good and he is a descend option for the team”.
Hans: “Diamantidis!”
Paul: “Diamantidis for sure! But I would choose Gist! I really like Gist too, he is such a good player. I mention him as an example to my players too, because you can notice that he always plays with a big smile on his face. At the same time he is a respectful player, not only for his teammates, but for the opponents too”.
Andreas: “Diamantidis is on the top of my list, but now I also like Gist! He is so energetic”.
Obradovic, Pedoulakis and Olympiacos!
During the last two years, a big discussion was going around the same topic, the comparison between the former head coaches of Panathinaikos, Zeljiko Obradovic and Argiris Pedoulakis. This discussion could not pass by the attention of Ronald, Hans and Andreas:
Ronald: “You cannot compare Pedoulakis to Obradovic, it is totally unfair. It is like comparing a good player with Michael Jordan, it does not make any sense. If you look back to Pedoulakis’ results, they are more than great, despite the fact that he is a bit conservative when it comes to the game”.
Hans:“I think Pedoulakis did a very good job. He made a new start last year, when some of the good players left the team. Nonetheless, he managed to win the championship and reach a step away from the Final Four”.
Andreas: “Sometimes it seemed to me that he could not bring new things into the team. In the end, the game was predictable for the opponents”.
– Do you feel the rivalry between the Panathinaikos and Olympiacos? Can you feel that every game between those two teams is always different than any other regular game of the season?
Ronald: “Well, you know that it is going to be a tough and hard game. You can get this feeling from the fans, they shout for 40 minutes and in the end you know it is going to be a tight game, none of the two teams will score more than 70 points. As for the fans themselves, it is not only singing, but they do want their team to win this game. If we try to compare this rivalry to our standards in Utrecht, then it is like talking for the game between Utrecht and Ajax. Sometimes people do not sleep before that game. You may lose every game of the season, but this one, no, definitely no!”
Hans: “It is true, you get affected by the fans, the way they celebrate each basket. Thus, it is the same for us even we watch the game behind a screen. We can feel that tension!”
Paul: “Euroleague has its motto about devotion. That game is true devotion!”
As for their wish about this season, what is better than winning domestic and Euroleague titles? Ronald seemed a bit demanding: “Triple Crown! There is no other answer to that”, while Andreas is dreaming of buying next year a new jersey with seven stars on it.