Panionios president Mikropoulos: “Pozzecco Turned Us Down, But We’ll Keep Moving Forward”

At Panionios, after thanking Kris Chougaz and Nikos Karagiannis for temporarily leading the team in the lunchtime matchup against Olympiacos, the management confirmed that they are in advanced talks to appoint a new head coach. Club president Theodoros Mikropoulos revealed to broadcaster ERT: “We made an offer to Mr. Pozzecco; he accepted, but then backed out. You can ask the other side why. He was the kind of coach we wanted—he has a sweet madness—but we can’t stop there,” said the Greek club’s president. In recent hours, the name of Aleksandar Džikić, current head coach of the Georgian national team, has emerged as a strong candidate.

Meanwhile, 1–2 roster changes are expected, pending the decisions of the future coach. The club’s goal is clear: not to disappoint the fans. They hope to have the new coach in place for the next game against Aris, but even if that’s not the case, confidence in Chougaz remains high. “If we play with grit, nobody can beat us at home,” Mikropoulos added. Despite the 15-point loss to Olympiacos, the president emphasized the huge budget gap between the two sides: “One Olympiacos contract costs as much as our entire team,” he pointed out, while praising his players’ fighting spirit—especially Gikas, who returned to the court and showed he can be a valuable contributor. Panionios have started the season with a 0–3 record in the Greek league and 1–2 in the EuroCup.