Olympiacos will face Milan in friendly game celebrating Vassilis Spanoulis' career / News - Basketnews.com

Olimpia Milano will join Olympiacos in a friendly game on September 17, when Vassilis Spanoulis' jersey retirement will take place.

Credit: Giuseppe Cottini/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images Credit Giuseppe Cottini/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images

On March 27,Olympiacos Piraeusannounced that the club would retire their legendVassilis Spanoulis' No. 7 jersey on September 17, 2023.

Vassilis Spanoulis

Position:SG, PGAge:40Height:193 cmWeight:96 kgBirth place:Larissa, GreeceProfileNewsStatistics

Spanoulis' jersey will be the first that will hang in the rafters of the Peace and Friendship Stadium, thus honoring the legendary Greek guard for changing the course of the Piraeus team.

Now, the team that will join the Reds in what promises to be a memorable evening has been revealed. As both clubs have announced,EA7 Emporio Armani Milan will have the privilege of facing the Greek champions and EuroLeague finalists to honor the EuroLeague all-time leading scorer with 4,455 points.

Olimpia will play a behind close doors friendly in Athens, against the same Olympiacos team on Friday, September 15.

Olympiacos co-owner Panagiotis Angelopoulos previously mentioned to SPORT24 that the celebration was planned earlier since Spanoulis retired in the summer of 2021 However, the big ceremony had been postponed due to COVID-19 and the tight schedule due to FIBA EuroBasket 2022.

The 40-year-old Spanoulis played for the Reds from 2010 to 2021, winning two EuroLeague titles, the EuroLeague MVP award, and three Greek league trophies, among many other accomplishments. He's one of only two players, the other being Nando De Colo, to have surpassed the 4,000-point mark during his career.

"Olimpia Milan, as an organization, is proud and honored to have the chance to take part in the Vassilis Spanoulis celebration game," President of Basketball Operation and head coach Ettore Messina said.

"He was an incredibly skilled player who was able to impact a generation of athletes and fans all over Europe with his clutch plays, creativity and longevity. I never had the opportunity to coach him but I experienced the toughness of coaching against a great player who was a nightmare for me and for any coach," the Italian coach admitted.

"However, he was not just a fantastic competitor and a winner but also a classy opponent and human being. For me personally and for Olimpia Milan, September 17 will be a special opportunity to celebrate a true champion."

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