Peristeri ultras demand respect in wake of Vassilis Spanoulis' nightclub incident / News - Basketnews.com

Spanoulis, a legendary former player for Olympiacos, attended the nightclub to celebrate his wife's birthday but unexpectedly took the microphone and sang a chant supporting Sasha Vezenkov's permanent stay with the Reds. This act upset the Peristeri ultras, who felt it showed a lack of respect for the club and its fans.

Credit: Hellenic BF Credit Hellenic BF

Peristeri B.C. head coach Vassilis Spanoulis found himself at the same nightclub where Olympiacos Piraeus were celebrating their recent Greek championship victory.

3-pointers this season

33%9,4Points made:9,4Accuracy:33,2%Place in standings:12Record max:13Record min:7Most made 3FGs:Sylvain FranciscoTeamBCLStatisticsSchedule

Spanoulis, an Olympiacos legend, was there to celebrate his wife's birthday but ended up taking the microphone and singing a chant about Sasha Vezenkov staying with the Reds "forever".

The season for Peristeri was highly successful, with the club finishing in third place in the local championship and making it to the Greek Cup final under the guidance of Spanoulis.

However, an incident off the court caused the Peristeri ultras to issue a statement demanding respect for their team.

Peristeri ultras announcement:

An amazing year for Persiteri has just ended. Our beloved club has returned in recent years to the fore, where we all expected and where it deserves to be based on its contribution to Greek basketball.

However, some dismiss our return and our worth. Just as a few years ago, "our own child", Argyris [Pedoulakis], spoke insultingly about the team that promoted him like this, and now the coach, who gained the trust of the club and all of us during his first term in this position, not only attended the celebration of a team that finished two places above Peristeri but also didn't hesitate to sing their chants.

We understand your long tenure with this team as well as that each of us has fan sympathies. We know which team you support and have had success and accolades.

But when someone wants to be considered a professional, he must first and foremost be respectful. When we respect someone, we demand the same response.

Many great names have passed through the club who have served as models of character and behavior. We could mention Audie Norris or Dragan Sakota. So, Vassilis Spanoulis, we ask you for nothing more than to respect the immense history of the team you coach, the team you represent, and the group that represents an entire city. The team that gained fame in Europe long before you became involved in the sport. Our giant... Our legend.

We acknowledge your significant contribution to this year's successful season of Peristeri, and it is evident that you will continue with our team next year. Therefore, with mutual respect and the hard work that characterizes you, we all hope to continue making history together.

Of course, the main responsibility lies with the media who are primarily responsible for creating controversy and fueling conflicts for the sake of their bosses' interests. They are the ones who, in order to generate animosity, recall what Argyris and Spanoulis have done and said, confusing and tarnishing our team. They are the ones who, through their articles and broadcasts, believe that only the red-green rivalry matters and that all others are mere supplements to the league.

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