Dejan Bodiroga’s banner is back in its original spot at the Telekom Center Athens, as Panathinaikos definitively closes a chapter that had sparked intense debate last season.
The banner, which depicts the Serbian legend lifting the EuroLeague trophy after Panathinaikos’s triumph in Thessaloniki in 2000, once again adorns the roof of the “Greens’” home arena.
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Its reinstatement follows Dimitris Giannakopoulos’s public commitment to reverse the decision made last season.
The banner had been removed prior to Panathinaikos’s derby against Olympiacos for the 30th round of the EuroLeague. The move was part of the “Green” club’s reaction to the referees’ calls during the game.
Subsequently, Dimitris Giannakopoulos publicly admitted on the “EuroInsiders” podcast that removing the banner had been a mistake and announced that it would be returned.
“Because everyone makes mistakes. Dejan (Bodiroga) has been a legend for Panathinaikos. Dejan has been a legend in European basketball. And above all, Dejan is my friend. He’s someone who hasn’t left basketball, but someone who remains in basketball and holds a specific position.
And when you’re still on the scene, you’re bound to be both applauded and judged. So I wasn’t satisfied with certain things, but my decision was definitely a mistake, and that will be corrected. “The banner will be back very soon,” the powerful figure behind Panathinaikos AKTOR had said at the time.
*photo source: SPORT24.GR
