Friday Frappé: Greece’s grudge match gets EuroLeague stage
In this week’s edition of the Friday Frappé, AGONAsport’s Peter Katsiris takes a look at what’s riding on this week’s Eternal Derby showdown between Olympiacos and Panathinaikos in the EuroLeague.
Watch LIVE GREEK TV including full GREEK SPORTS coverage with Go Greek TV!
Friday night’s derby showdown between Olympiacos and Panathinaikos at the OAKA Olympic Indoor Hall isn’t the first time the biggest game in Greek basketball will take to the European stage, but perhaps it’s the most important clash in years.
In total 15 showdowns between Greece’s two biggest clubs on the European stage have made for must-watch basketball over the past 25 years, including two meetings in the Final Four in both 1994 and again in 2009.
Even though Friday night’s showdown is just one of 34 games both sides will play in this season’s EuroLeague, the climate of Greek basketball on the domestic scene makes this meeting between two old foes one of the most important in Greek basketball.
Olympiacos’ actions to protest refereeing on the domestic front ultimately had the Piraeus giants relegated from the Basket League, meaning that this season wouldn’t include a domestic showdown between the Eternal Rivals. Olympiacos’ decision to field a different roster for A2 Basket League games also meant that a Greek Cup showdown between the two sides was unlikely, which was proven to be the case when the Erythrolefki were knocked out in the early rounds of the Cup.
Transition to life under these changes has been difficult for Olympiacos as the early weeks of the EuroLeague season have already seen head coach David Blatt face the axe, while results have been inconsistent for a 5-6 record through one third of the campaign. With Kestutis Kemzura appointed as Blatt’s successor, Olympiacos have rallied in recent weeks to pull within one game of the final playoff spot in the standings.
Panathinaikos are already in a playoff spot with a 7-4 record, but that doesn’t mean the Trifylli have been free of any turbulence of their own. Argyris Pedoulakis was sacked after the inconsistent run in the EuroLeague saw Panathinaikos stumble on the continent, only for Rick Pitino to come in and help steady the ship. While Pitino’s return to Panathinaikos has helped to put the club back on track, it’s added more fuel to the fire between the two clubs after Pitino also accepted the role as head coach of the Greek national team for the upcoming FIBA Olympic Qualifying Tournament.
While it will always be a rivalry that is known to be fierce, it’s one that has made more headlines off the court than on it in recent months. Under the supervision of EuroLeague officials, Olympiacos will get what they are lobbying for on the domestic front with international referees appointed to the game and with that will come the pressure of following through with a win.
Meanwhile, Panathinaikos have been riding-high in Greek basketball after yet another domestic double last season and now with their archrivals in the second tier. The Trifylli did crash out of the Greek Cup but appear to be cruising to first place in the Basket League, and with their confidence still intact pressure is on Pitino’s Panathinaikos to win comfortably on home court on Friday night.
Certainly it’s the storylines of competition and the spirit of basketball that make this rivalry one of the best in Europe. Fans of basketball will hope that it will be those storylines that emerge on Friday night as Greece’s biggest grudge match in recent years looks to settle things on the European stage.
