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The circus that is Greek basketball continues as the big Athens derby exploded into further chaos last night.
Olympiacos created more space between them and annual challengers Panathinaikos by seemingly coasting to a vital 77-64 away win after Vassilis Spanoulis drained a three-pointer, when Gate 13; Panathinaikos’ loyal fan club decided to take matters into their own hand and pelt the Reds players with various objects, forcing them to make a quick exit.
The match was subsequently suspended.
But the trouble began when Spanoulis made a gesture directly to Gate 13 when he connected on his three. The motion of Spanoulis saying ‘I can’t hear you’, which infuriated the home support.
And, unfortunately, it doesn’t take much to annoy the Panathinaikos fans.
“I didn’t swear,” said Spanoulis. “On the contrary I am hearing many things at OAKA. [In] the heat of the moment I did that gesture. Those who have to regret about something are those who are cursing families and children.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lKZKzWGiYLI
And the fallout from this game has been unlike any rival derby match that you would witness across Europe.
Panathinaikos have fired coach Dusko Ivanovic after the Bosnian national team playcaller has crashed to two league defeats against Olympiacos, which have left them stranded in second spot, behind the Reds, who have qualified to the Final Four in Madrid, whereas Panathiniaikos have not.
The Panathinaikos president Dimitris Giannakopoulos has since attacked Spanoulis not just outside the locker rooms at the OAKA, where he wished his family dead.
But the loud Panathinaikos general incredibly called for the Olympiacos guard to be punished by the Greek sports ministers.
“A nobody who came to OAKA 25 times and has left with head low can’t do such things,” Giannakopoulos said.
“What he wanted to demonstrate? Why he showed us his ears? I am asking Prime Minister Mr. Tsipras and the deputy minister of sports Mr. Kodonis to punish him in order to set an example. Spanoulis doesn’t have a place in Greece and in basketball. He wanted to provoke us.”
It would be unlikely that anything will happen to Spanoulis. Gestures are admittedly unnecessary but it happens in sports all over the world. What Giannakopoulos will need to worry about, on top of his Euroleague penalty, is that the Greek league must surely look at his actions and he has started himself.
As his words have seemingly stuck with the Panathinaikos fans because after the game, Spanoulis’ home in Glyfada was cordoned by Police, after Giannakopoulos’ words might have triggered some angry fans to attack the player off the court.
What happens next remains to be seen, but it’s something that will be monitored closely.
