Dimitris Giannakopoulos sets goals for PAO season, says club is repairing OAKA arena / News - Basketnews.com

Dimitris Giannakopoulos admitted that he wasn't happy with the condition the OAKA arena was in before its refurbishment started. He also named Panathinaikos' main goals for the coming campaign and the team he thinks was the best in the EuroLeague last year.

Credit: Vangelis Stolis Credit Vangelis Stolis

The 5th Pavlos Giannakopoulos tournament is being held at OAKA under different conditions compared to the previous ones. Panathinaikos Athens enter the 2023-24 season with big ambitions, while the arena has undergone many important changes.

As owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos had previously announced, several improvements have been made on the court. A new floor has been placed, while the courtside seats have been replaced by armchairs and a part of the media tribune has also been replaced by VIP seats. Another important change is the transfer of Gate 13 ultras from the corner to the stands behind the basket, so that they're closer to the court.

Those are the first in a series of works that will be carried out until next season, in order to completely change the overall outlook of the installation that Panathinaikos will be using for the next 49 years.

Credit Vangelis Stolis

However, Giannakopoulos thinks that when the time came for the Greens to refurbish the facility, they also came to find out that the Greek state hadn't done what was necessary to maintain the stadium in good condition.

"This year we will correct serious mistakes, such as water supply, piping, radiators, and who knows what else," Giannakopoulos told tournament's broadcasters ACTION24.

"I think next year, we will make more improvements for us to really enjoy the OAKA," he added.

Credit Vangelis Stolis

The Greek businessman pointed out that the tournament held in memory of his father and Panathinaikos' iconic figure, Pavlos Giannakopoulos, features some of Europe's top teams.

"To me, Partizan were the best team last year, regardless of what happened in the games against Real Madrid and didn't get to the Final Four," he said.

"Anadolu Efes have won two EuroLeague trophies in the last three years and Bayern are a very good team."

Giannakopoulos once again denied that he's made a comeback to being actively involved in the club, but admitted that this year he's made "a serious and strong investment."

"I and my family are always close to Panathinaikos -- some years more so, others less," he said before specifying the team's goals.

"We want to play nice basketball, for people to come here with their families, and create anticipation so that they count the hours to come back to the arena. As far as the sports part goes, of course, we would like to make the [EuroLeague] Final Four. If we get to that point, we'll try to bring the big cup," he concluded.

Support BasketNews so we could make even better content.