Zeljko Obradovic, who signed a three-year contract, thanked the president Giannakopoulos for having the opportunity to work at Panathinaikos again and said, “We had a very good meeting. We understood each other very well. I have never lost touch with the Giannakopoulos family, the people here and these fans who welcomed me wonderfully. Motivation is the key word in everyone’s life. If you have motivation, you can do anything you want. There is a passion in me to continue being a head coach. It was easy for me to find this motivation at Panathinaikos.” he said.
The experienced coach stated that he was happy in Partizan, where he last worked, but left his job by making a difficult decision in November 2025. “After leaving Partizan, I told my manager that I did not want to hear any offers until the season was over and I was ready. I went on the field for the first time 20 days ago, at the basketball camp organized for children upon the invitation of Luigi Datome. This was a special moment for me. The feeling I felt while on the field is something that carries me forward. At that moment, I am the happiest person in the world. The past is good, but the present is You have to live in time and in the future.” he said.
Emphasizing that they want to create a competing team, Obradovic said, “Everyone in Europe knows what Panathinaikos means. I will always respect the opponents. We need to focus on ourselves. The players need to know the meaning of playing for Panathinaikos. We must unite. We need to do everything we can. This club is very big and the expectations are very high. I am aware of this.” He commented:
Panathinaikos President Dimitris Giannakopoulos stated that it is a very important day in the history of the club and said, “This is more than a historical day for Panathinaikos. The joy of the fans is even greater than winning the Europa League. This is the most important day for many years.” made his assessment.
Zeljko Obradovic, who is the head coach with the most championships (9) in the EuroLeague, won 5 Europa League, 11 Greek League and 7 Greek Cup championships with Panathinaikos.
