Giannakopoulos is one of the most controversial public persons in the EuroLeague ecosystem. He has received a number of suspensions and fines for his provoking acts during games and emotional messages on social media.<\/p>\n
Despite the constant controversy, the Greek businessman continues to show love to his club and has helped Panathinaikos reach the top of European basketball in recent years.<\/p>\n
Giannakopoulos talks last season results, support for Ataman\u00a0 <\/p>\n
Giannakopoulos remained positive when asked if last season was a success or a failure and how he would define it.<\/p>\n
“Actually I don’t think it’s a failure. I think it’s a success because we have the best stadium in Europe. Panathinaikos never had a stadium owned by the club. I think that all around the world, whoever has seen it, has been really astonished. I think it’s really a big success having families, having the whole of Greece calling and asking for for a ticket.”<\/p>\n
However, regarding basketball results, he was less positive.<\/p>\n
“Basketball wise, I expected something better. It was one of the reasons why we changed the gear this year. I think that this season was just unlucky. I don’t think that it was a learning season.”<\/p>\n
![\"Ergin](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-472336-any780x600.jpg\" "\\"Ergin")
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Ergin Ataman, Dimitris Giannakopoulos<\/p>\n
Credit Vangelis Stolis<\/p>\n
The Panathinaikos owner then defended former head coach Ergin Ataman<\/a>, who faced criticism during the season.<\/p>\n “Everybody was asking me ‘why are you supporting Ergin so much this season and why are you so pro-Ergin?’ Firstly, because he’s an amazing professional. He brought me the European title. And I believe that if he had the full support of everybody, maybe the results would have been different. I love him so much. We have the same beliefs, the same character.”<\/p>\n Dimitris Giannakopoulos hints at possible Panathinaikos exit, reveals massive club valuation <\/p>\n The Panathinaikos owner explained that taking control of the club was never part of his original plans, recalling how his father convinced him to continue the family’s involvement.<\/p>\n “I grew up in a house where the word Panathinaikos came up every ten minutes,” Giannakopoulos said.<\/p>\n “Business-wise, involvement-wise, I’ve said it in the past, I’m not going to go back on that. It wasn’t something that I wanted to be involved [in] back in 2012. I told you, I’ve even gone to Nigeria to try to find a buyer. I didn’t want that.<\/p>\n “My dad asked me and he said, ‘Look, please don’t do this to me. This is my legacy.’ I carried on, I did the best I could, I think I passed the level of what was expected.”<\/p>\n However, Giannakopoulos made it clear that he has never promised to remain in charge indefinitely.<\/p>\n “Now, to be honest, why am I keeping being involved? I never said that I’m going to be here forever. I have the responsibility for like three or four million [people], if they’re going to wake up in the morning with a smile or with not a smile. So I think about them a lot.”<\/p>\n According to him, Panathinaikos’ value has increased dramatically in recent years and could now be approaching half a billion euros.<\/p>\n “Basketball, going into the business side, is changing,” he said.<\/p>\n “Like valuation of Panathinaikos a few years ago was in the tens. Now it’s maybe half a billion.”<\/p>\n The growing value of the organization, he admitted, is one of the factors affecting his thinking about whether to remain involved.<\/p>\n “A bit of it is keeping me there. A bit of it is maybe changing my thoughts about my future involvement. So let’s say that I’m with one-and-a-half feet in, half a foot out. We’ll see.”<\/p>\n When asked where he sees himself several years from now, his answer was even more striking.<\/p>\n “You see where [the cat is] sitting? I’m going to put a television there and I’m going to be watching the games as a fan in five years and I’m going to be shouting, ‘You should get another center, you should get another point [guard], you should get another small forward.'”<\/p>\n Credit Tourette Photography \/Alamy\/Scanpix<\/p>\n The Panathinaikos owner dismisses Olympiacos rivalry, addresses possibility of peace <\/p>\n Giannakopoulos does not believe Panathinaikos and Olympiacos should be viewed on the same level in basketball.<\/p>\n “I cannot put in the same sentence Panathinaikos and Olympiacos, because we are two totally different clubs in dynamic, two totally different clubs in size, in ethics, in everything.”<\/p>\n According to Giannakopoulos, the rivalry comes mainly from football.<\/p>\n “This rivalry comes from football. There is no rivalry in basketball. Olympiacos fans, the last ten years, have learned that basketball is an orange ball and not a black-and-white one. You used to go to the stadium of Olympiacos ten years ago and you used to hear, ‘Offside, offside.'”<\/p>\n Still, Giannakopoulos stressed that he respects Olympiacos supporters.<\/p>\n “I respect Olympiacos fans a lot. I respect the fans of every club. But I cannot accept that Panathinaikos, Olympiacos in basketball can be in the same kind of conversation.”<\/p>\n Asked about the possibility of peace between the two sides, Giannakopoulos said he has tried before.<\/p>\n “I’ve said this thousands of times. I tried to humanize it. There is no will on the other side. There is no will. I’m ready to sit on the same table.”<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Support BasketNews so we could make even better content.<\/p>\n <\/a><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/08\/image-469070-any780x600.jpg\")
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