Hapoel Tel Aviv Owner Praises Rival's Strategy After Upset Win
Translated & summarized from N12 by baba
Hapoel Tel Aviv owner Ofer Yanai praised Panathinaikos owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos's strategic approach after his team's upset 91-81 victory in Athens. Yanai called Giannakopoulos a "great strategist" and admitted he was "astonished" by his team's win against a top EuroLeague squad. He noted that building a successful team is a step-by-step process, contrasting it with his own desire for quick progress. Yanai predicted the loss would be Panathinaikos's only one this season.
The story in 6 lines · by baba
- Hapoel Tel Aviv owner Ofer Yanai praised rival Dimitris Giannakopoulos after his team's victory.
- Yanai called Giannakopoulos a "great strategist" and a passionate team builder.
- Hapoel Tel Aviv defeated Panathinaikos 91-81 in Athens.
- Yanai admitted he was "astonished" by his team's ability to win the game.
- He stated that building a strong team requires a step-by-step process.
- Yanai predicted this would be Panathinaikos's only loss of the season.
Ofer Yanai, the owner of Israeli basketball club Hapoel Tel Aviv, expressed admiration for his Panathinaikos counterpart, Dimitris Giannakopoulos, following his team's significant victory over the Greek powerhouse. Yanai, who watched from the front row as Hapoel Tel Aviv secured an 81-91 win at Athens' OAKA arena on Friday, spoke to the local media immediately after the game.
"I am a big admirer of Giannakopoulos," Yanai stated. "Everyone thinks he is crazy. He is not crazy, he is a great strategist, he has enormous passion, and he understands that you build a team step by step. For me, that is the biggest lesson."
Yanai elaborated on the strategic lesson, contrasting it with his own preference for rapid progress. "I am a person who likes to move quickly, but you cannot build a great team in one year, it must be a process. You develop, you learn, you add more and more pieces," he said. He acknowledged the strength of Panathinaikos, calling them "one of the best teams the EuroLeague has seen." Yanai admitted he was "astonished that we managed to win here, to be honest," and predicted it would be Panathinaikos's only loss of the season.
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