Coming third in the “group of death”, Greece had a big chunk to swallow in the quarter-final against Germany, the 2023 world champion. After a very good start to the match, Giannis Antetokounmpo and his gang gradually cracked, faced with the rise in power of Franz Wagner.
The tournament therefore ends at the gates of the semi-final, which Greece has never played in its history at the Olympic Games. Is Vassilis Spanoulis disappointed not to have overcome this obstacle?
“We weren't far away,” estimates the coach. “The dynamic of the game changed because they made one or two big shots that we didn't manage to make. We took the lead in the third quarter, but small details changed the dynamic and psychology of the game. I'm proud of what we've done over the past year.”
It was indeed three Olympics, and Beijing 2008, that the Greeks had missed, so the simple fact of being in the Top 8 in Paris is a source of pride. “We put Greece on the world map. We showed everyone that we could compete with the best.”continues Vassilis Spanoulis. “It wasn't enough, but it was important, that's clear,” insists Kostas Papanikolaou. “It's not a failure for us, we reached the Top 8. It's a real success.”
“We must keep this core and not change every year. It is essential.”
The coach does not want this competition to be a flash in the pan. It must be the beginning of a return to the forefront, with a specific objective: to continue working with this group.
“This team can become the base. We have a base now, a culture and the DNA to do it again in the coming years and become a very good team,” he announces. “The next step is to have the same approach, love of country, pride […] We could have been in the semi-finals, but that's not the case. Maybe next year. We have to keep this core and not change every year. It's crucial.”
“This team did their best. No one can fault us for our attitude, our effort, our work or anything else,” concludes Kostas Papanikolaou. “You can't sign a contract with success and I can assure you that our desire is no less than that of Franz Wagner or Dennis Schroder. Nobody will give us anything, we have to dominate our opponents on the court.”
