By Nikos Varlas/ varlas@eurohoops.net
Bayern Munich decided to trust Greek coach, Yiannis Christopoulos, after the “divorce” with Dirk Bauermann. The new season which starts this Wednesday is a big challenge for the Bavarian club and Eurohoops.net had the chance to talk with the new head coach of Bayern who wants to change the status quo of Beko BBL and dares to say that he wants the championship!
– Which are the goals of Bayern this season and also for the future, according to the project that the club has initiated the last two years?
“Our goal is to be a contender of the domestic championship. We have the ability and we want the title. As for the future, we want to play in Euroleague. When you speak about a club of this caliber, the future goal is to win titles in the highest European level”.
– How do you rate BBL this season and which teams can dethrone Brose Baskets, after winning three consecutives doubles in the league and the cup?
“The German league has a really solid foundation, specially in the organizing section. Every team works the right way, there are great executives everywhere and the goal is to have an efficient organization in every aspect of the game. There are also well known European players who are coming in the league and that helps the quality of the game. The players are seeing the progress that is made in Germany and they choose more easily now to come to the league. As for the second part of your question, there are many teams with high ambitions this season. Ulm is on the rise. Artland Dragons is spending a lot of money and there is always Alba Berlin, a traditional power. I also believe that Oldenburg has a good team. Brose Baskets has the champion’s mentality and endurance. It’s a big advantage for them the experience they got from playing in Euroleague, it helps them very much in the league”.
– Do the fans of Bayern care about the basketball team and do you think that there’s a good chance in the near future for Bayern to be a part of Europe’s basketball elite?
“The fans are embracing the basketball project. We can feel that and it helps us a lot. There is a constant increase of interest and it’s important to understand that there is planning and programming behind all that. We have solid foundation, a specific project that is developing day by day. We just have to rise step by step and be always ready for the next target”.
– How do you feel being the leader of club with illustrious history, which represents a vast region like Bavaria?
“First of all, I would like to thank the people of Bayern for trusting me. It’s great to be in such a club. I will work hard and I want to create the right environment in order for the team to meet the standards and the obligations of competing for the top. We need dedication and faith on what we are doing. My basic feeling is the responsibility of the mission that I have accepted and there is the highest motive possible, not only for me, but for the whole club”.
– Have you finalized your roster, or maybe you will add something?
“Our roster has very good players. We are complete in every position. I want to fight with what I have, not with what I… would like to have. This is my job”.
– What is the secret for the fast rise of German league, something that’s evident in key factors, like the attendance in the gyms and the revenues of the league?
“The secret is that teams are organized, with very capable persons in management and marketing. Every one is an absolute professional. There are technocrats, specialized in their field, they don’t leave anything to luck and there is an ongoing everyday effort. When every one works the right way with the right guidance, the result is evident. That’s what’s happening in the BBL”.
– The fact that many teams without a big basketball tradition have impressive numbers of season ticket’s holders is a result of the German economy, or of the team’s marketing?
“I don’t think that it’s a matter of the economy. You can remember that in Greece, even after big successes, with teams having enormous budgets, there wasn’t a lot of people in the gyms, with the exception of some specific games. It has to do with the facilities and the conditions of the gyms, in order to make them attractive to people and to families. There are many rewards for the fans who are attending the games in Germany. The clubs are respecting them, they reach out to them the right way and they care about them. There is a system and there are specific goals”.
– Brose Baskets’ coach Chris Fleming in his Eurohoops.net interview said that the target of being the best league in Europe is within reach for the BBL.
“There is a very conscious effort in order to upgrade the league and there is also collaborations from every involved part. Time will tell. BBL is on the right path and there is a stable rise in every aspect of it”.
– What’s your opinion about Panathinaikos after your last exhibition game against them? Can they win titles this season?
“Panathinaikos changed a lot of things. There is a new coaching stuff and a different roster. They managed to keep two key players (Diamantidis and Tsartsaris) not only on the court, but also off the court, because of their mentality and because the can show to other the way a team like that should approach the game. They have principles on their game and they try to be really faithful to them. The way they work as a unit will be the key. Coach Pedoulakis has the mentality and the know how to take the maximum from his players. Time works in favor of them. They can be competitive and they should have good results in Euroleague”.
– What is your initial impression about the new season in Euroleague and in Eurocup?
“I think that a lot of things are changing in European basketball, maybe because of the general economic situation in Europe, but there are also teams which spend a lot of money, like the clubs from Turkey. The traditional powerhouses of the league will be again on the spotlight and they will try to get to the pick of their performance the right moment. On the other hand, the teams with the biggest budgets will always be the favorites in Euroleague. And if you have the money, then you will spend, like in real life! That’s the first rule. The second rule is that money alone doesn’t guarantee a title and the example of Olympiacos last season proved that. Eurocup will also be a really competitive league and as we have seen in the Euroleague qualifying round, a lot of good teams will be competing there”.