Ergin Ataman discusses Greek and Turkish sports culture, feelings for Fenerbahce / News - Basketnews.com

Ergin Ataman compared the way Turkish and Greek people view sports and revealed Dimitris Giannakopoulos' first words to him and Panathinaikos' budget for players. The Turkish coach also broke down his relationship with Galatasaray and his feelings for Fenerbahce.

Credit: Vangelis Stolis Credit Vangelis Stolis

In a long interview with Mehmet Arslan from Turkish newspaper 'Hürriyet,' Ergin Ataman talked about his first months in Greece, the way Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens' roster was built, his relationship with owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos, but also the love he receives in Athens.

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The Turkish tactician referred to the warm reception he received from the first day he got a job in Greece.

"People welcomed me with love. When I went out on the streets they saw me as the savior from Turkey," he stressed.

"Besides professionalism, in Turkey there's a lack of respect and interest. You win the Euroleague title twice and people don't respect you. The fans and the press immediately start criticizing you if you lose a match or two in Turkey," the two-time EuroLeague winner said.

Credit Vangelis Stolis

Ataman weighed in on the sports culture he met in Athens and decribed how it's different than the one in Turkey.

"People say, 'We have the coach who won the Euroleague twice or even three times.' They follow everything. Things started going very well from the moment I arrived. Nobody expected it, because we made over 10 signings on a team that last year was dead-last," he pointed out, and revealed that Panathinakos' budget for players is around15-16 million euros, which ranks the Greens 6th or 7th in the list, according to Ataman.

Asked about his rapport with Dimitris Giannakopoulos, Ataman admitted that "the president of Panathinaikos had the reputation of being a difficult person," but also added that his experience has proven otherwise.

"He constantly supports the team with enthusiasm by staying on the sidelines. He's part of the team. His family has had Panathinaikos for 40 years and he sees the team as the legacy he inherited from his father. He has calmed down to some extent in the last few years, because things were not going the way he wanted, but now he is very happy," Ataman said, and confided what Giannakopoulos told him when the two men first met.

"I want to revive the excitement my father created," were PAO's owner words.

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"You feel the interest when you coach in Athens. The public, the media, the administration are totally focused on basketball. You play in a big gym, against giants like Real Madrid and Barcelona. That gives you motivation," he stressed.

Ataman compared the feeling of coaching the six-time EuroLeague champs to managingGalatasaray or Manchester United.

"That's the atmosphere in Athens," he argued. "Also, the professionalism within the club is at a very high level. I've never had problems working with presidents in the past. I am a man who wants active presidents. Players need to see that."

The veteran coach also said he made all the decisions regarding the team's roster.

"I made all the moves and the management took any player I wanted," he admitted. "So far, no team I've worked with has made a signing without my approval. There were some contracts with players before I came in, but I signed all the new players," he stressed.

What makes Ataman feel even better in Athens is the way he's been treated by casual fans.

"I can't walk down the street without being stopped for photos. But what touches me most is the words I hear. 'Thanks for coming to the team.' I've never experienced that before, no one had told me that.

At the start of the season we lost to Olympiacos by 25 points in the Super Cup. Everyone was like, 'It's ok, you're going to make this team a champion.' I reluctantly went out on the street, but people showed they believed in me. No restaurant or cafeteria will let me pay. Of course, I received love in Turkey as well, but in Athens there's real devotion."

Credit Vangelis Stolis

As a fervent Galatasaray fan and after expressing his wish to become his former club's president one day, Ataman would never accept an offer from Fenerbahce if such an opportunity ever presented itself.

"Fenerbahce has been my biggest opponent and I have faced them many times," he said.

"I have five championships against Fenerbahce. This creates serious competition. Besides, I have candidly admitted that I am a Galatasaray fan. Thanks to Galatasaray, I won the EuroCup and became a member of the Board of Directors. After I quit basketball, my goal is to become president of Galatasaray, so I will not work for Fenerbahce," Ataman clarified.

"I have set my goals and I respect Fenerbahce. I can't work for them. They know my identity, they're never going to make me an offer. It wouldn't be right."

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