Olympiacos GM updates fans count in Kaunas after they spark Final Four opening ceremony / News - Basketnews.com

Olympiacos GM Nikos Lepeniotis is anticipating at least 4,000 fans in Kaunas for the highly anticipated Final Four semifinals against Monaco.

Credit: Teodoras Biliūnas/BNS Credit Teodoras Biliūnas/BNS

While Kaunas is hosting the EuroLeague Final Four, fans of one team have already shown who will be the host since the opening ceremony.

When the Olympiacos Piraeus fans' chants were heard from the FanZone surroundings during the opening ceremony, there were mixed feelings among the event participants and guests.

Some smiled, already understanding that it was Greek chanting. Others felt a slight unease about what awaited them.

In the past couple of years, Olympiacos supporters have earned a reputation as fans who can unexpectedly flood basketball events and create an apocalyptic atmosphere.

"I was expecting them to come and interrupt. And maybe give a high-five to the coach and Kostas," Olympiacos GM Nikos Lepeniotis smiled in an interview with BasketNews right after the opening ceremony.

"But it's very exciting for the city of Kaunas. It's a basketball city in a basketball country. We have all these problems with logistics and hotels, but it's very important to host the Final Four in such a unique basketball country," he added.

"The Greek basketball fans love Lithuanians because your love for basketball is very important to us. I think it will be an amazing Final Four and weekend."

A couple of dozen Olympiacos supporters gathered behind the fence separating the EuroLeague FanZone.

Only official participants, accredited guests, and media representatives were allowed into the area on the morning of the event.

However, even those left outside the barrier did not go unnoticed by the passionate Olympiacos fans.

For example, when Kostas Papanikolaou gave an interview to Greek journalists, The Reds sang lively songs in the background.

Olympiacos GM Nikos Lepeniotis provided the latest update regarding the expected number of their fans in Kaunas.

"Right now, we have 4,000," he confirmed to BasketNews.

"But we don't know exactly because there are a lot of fans who bought tickets through Viagogo and other platforms. However, that's the estimation we made based on the channels and the information we received from fans.

I'm not sure exactly, but that's the feeling we have. But we'll see tomorrow," he smiled as if he was hinting that the number might be even higher during the Friday semifinal game against Monaco

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