The Greek national team beat Croatia in the final with 80-69 and qualified for the Olympic Games to be held in Paris with Giannis Antetokounmpo, George Papagianni and Nick Calathes as protagonists in the SEF.
The President of the EEC, Vangelis Lioliosgave statements to ERT following the final of the historic match and focused on the influence of Vassilis Spanoulis on the team and the goals achieved in the five days of the tournament.
Vangelis Lioliou’s statements in detail
On whether the goal has been completed when Greece received the anointing of holding the Pre-Olympic Games: “The goal was big. We are in the middle of the goal. The first was to participate in Paris. Whatever we did, the victory was won by the players and the coach and they had all the Greeks with them. In every match, the stadium was sold out and they felt the whole of Greece with them. We know what Vassilis Spanoulis means to the National Team. The success of the team was that everyone gave their soul for the team.”
On what he has to say regarding the image of Giannis crying in the locker room: “I have the impression that the rest of the players and many Greeks will also cry. We were playing for a country, not a team. When you play for your country and you hear the national anthem then it’s more intense. It was important for everyone.”
For the next motivation: “Right now we have made a big success and we are going to Paris. Of course there is optimism and belief in the team. The same will happen when we meet in Paris.”
For the selection of Spanoulis: “Vassilis Spanoulis is the soul and meaning of the National team”.
For the future protagonists “born” by the course of the National Team: “The team has the DNA, they play with self-sacrifice and belief as always. At some point, Giannis dived on the floor and I saw what the team’s DNA is. Players came forward. Toliopoulos had an amazing tournament, but I wouldn’t want to focus on just a few players.”
The Federal coach with a smile on his face and following he had given all the players of Greece a big hug and had heard the people in SEF rhythmically calling his name spoke to the ERT camera regarding Greece’s fate.
Vassilis Spanoulis stated in detail: “We succeeded. Not the team, everyone together, those who played, those who were on the field, even those who watched the match on their televisions. The Greek National Team must unite, we are proud people, proud as a country, we are patriots and we must give our all, whether we win or lose.”
What did Vassilis Spanoulis bring to the team as a coach? “I tried to bring what I experienced, to let them understand that above all is the team. National Greece is not a club. Be proud. We are a proud country and people and we wanted to give it our all.”
Let’s take them one by one. Was the Dominican Republic match the most difficult?
“Obviously, not every match had its own degree of difficulty. With the same will, we played excellent defense throughout the tournament, day by day we watched every match.”
And then with Egypt, the easiest win?
“There is nothing difficult and nothing easy. As long as you work hard, you win.”
The two finals with Slovenia and Croatia followed?
“Each game has its own particularity. We played in two finals, with Slovenia and Croatia, and we got the ticket for the Olympic games.”
And without Giannis being the top scorer?
“Does not matter. Giannis knows this. Giannis came here to win. If a top scorer needs to come out, he will come out, if someone else needs to come forward it will be someone else who will lead us to victory. Giannis is an excellent person and personality and a great player.”
And also you did something that no one expected you put together Kalathy – Woocap for quite some time?
“Even if Calathes had 0/20 shots and Walkup had 0/20 shots and we lost the game, I would have done the same. I want to put good players together. Other times the shots will go in, and we were missing shots. They are both excellent players, they have a tremendous IQ.”
And another Antetokounmpo-Papagiannis duo with Giorgos pulling the team with his shots?
“It’s not just them. Dinos is also Charalambopoulos. Croatia didn’t play zone, they played close, some possessions. We thought it right to open up her defense. I had built the team so that Papagiannis or Dinos would come out on top and that Kostas would give us his energy, unfortunately we don’t have him with us but we filled the gap”.
And the rest of the guys. If there are main or substitutes?
“The qualification is overall, it belongs to the whole team. They have done an amazing job. Papanikolaou played amazing defense yesterday and today once morest Hezonias and to win you have to be a team.”
At the apotheosis we saw you stay two steps behind.
“You know me as a human being. I’m not regarding appearances but giving credit to those who deserve it. And those who played on the floor deserved it. I would like to congratulate the administration for the organization and the people who were by our side.”
Some people said that Spanoulis, following two years as a coach, can’t be in the national team?
“No problem, everyone has their opinion. I have tremendous confidence. Everyone has their opinion.”
“Let us enjoy ourselves a little. Two or three days. The kids deserve rest and we’ll see later.”
Will the roster be these 12?
“They and those who were at the beginning of the preparation. We’ll see”.
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