Pitino in Greece to sign with Panathinaikos

Ahead of the signing of his contract with Panathinaikos, famous American coach Rick Pitino has been pictured arriving in Athens.

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Pitino arrived at Athens International Airport on Tuesday afternoon:

“I’m aiming to stay here for two years,” revealed Pitino when he spoke to the media inside the airport building. “Dimitris Giannakopoulos gives me something more than money. At my age, the fact he gives me respect and control is a lot more important than dollars. I’m very appreciative of him for bringing me back and for the confidence which he shows in me.”

“The fans are always behind the team, so it’s time we brought them home something special,” continued the 67-year-old. “From what I have seen, I don’t think a lot of moves need to be made, but I haven’t been at training yet. I’ve been in contact with the Panathinaikos coaches, and while our attacking play is great, our defence needs to improve. If that happens, we’ll have a damn good team.”

Video courtesy of gazzetta.gr:

Pitino will be at the helm when Panathinaikos face Baskonia at the OAKA Indoor Hall in the EuroLeague on Thursday. The Athenians currently possess a 6-4 record in the competition.

Giorgos Vovoras has been the temporary boss since the sacking of Argyris Pedoulakis. Incidentally, Panathinaikos have improved under Vovoras’ guidance, defeating Zalgiris and Bayern Munich on the road in the EuroLeague.

Last year, Pitino moved to Greece for the first time in his career, replacing Xavi Pascual as the Panathinaikos boss. Becoming a fans’ favourite in the process, Pitino steered Panathinaikos to the Greek double and the EuroLeague playoffs, but he left after the season ended citing family reasons. Pitino recently agreed to manage the Greek national team next summer with the 2020 Olympic Games in mind.

by Shaun Nicolaides

Image Source: to10.gr

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