Panathinaikos travels to Spain for a do-or-die match against Valencia (May 13, 10:00 p.m.) that will decide the fourth and final spot in the EuroLeague Final Four, which will be held at their home arena, the “T-Center.”

In his remarks as the “Greens” departed, Ergin Ataman emphasized that his team is ready to beat Valencia, while also addressing the issue of officiating.

Specifically, he noted that the three referees who will officiate the crucial match are the most successful of this season, expressing his confidence in a fair game.

Ergin Ataman’s comments in detail:

“Now both teams know each other very well. Valencia is a very good team. We also demonstrated our quality and experience in the first two games. We’ll try to play our best; I have confidence in our players. We need to show all our ability on the court.

The two games we won were very different. In the first one, we played great defense; in the second, we had a tremendous offensive performance. In the third and fourth, we couldn’t stop the transition. It’s important to execute our strategy on the court.

As for the referees, I’d like to say that we need to put what happened in previous games behind us. I saw that there are three great referees in this game; I consider them the best of the season. We didn’t want any calls; we just want to see a fair game. I trust these three referees; they’ve performed well, even in games we won, and even in games we lost. We need to focus on our game. I believe these three referees will do their best.

I advise my players to be confident. The Valencia players don’t have much experience, but they’ve shown great character. I want to thank the fans for their support. As Panathinaikos, we’re ready to win, but sometimes we have to accept that we lose; we have to accept the two losses, but now we’re ready to beat Valencia.”

*photo source: CNA