Ergin Ataman spoke to reporters shortly before Panathinaikos BC AKTOR departed for Bologna, where the team will face Virtus Bologna (24/10, 21:00) in the context of Round 6 of the EuroLeague Regular Season.

Regarding the matchup against Duško Ivanović’s team, coach stated: “I can’t share my game plans. As you said, it’s indeed a dangerous and difficult game. They play very well at home and have already won two big games against Real Madrid and AS Monaco. We will face an aggressive team, so we must be very smart on defense.”

On the absence of Richaun Holmes, Ergin Ataman noted: “During a long season, you’re going to face injuries, with players unable to participate in key games. Of course, Holmes contributed a lot in the last two games, and we’ll miss him. But the most important issue is not who is missing from the roster — it’s the players who travel with the team but have missed practices throughout the week. You never know what kind of performance they’ll deliver in the game. This disrupts team chemistry and practice rhythm — that’s the real danger.”

Yurtseven: “We need to execute correctly on both ends”

Speaking on behalf of the players ahead of the matchup with Virtus Bologna, Omer Yurtseven commented: “It’s going to be a challenge, like every game in the EuroLeague. But I believe we have better weapons on the court, and we need to use them properly. We must execute correctly on both ends — defensively and offensively — to win the game. We have a scary offense, and we’ll see how it goes, but we’re well prepared. We just have to play our game the right way: run, manage our energy, and stay focused.”

Referring to Holmes’ absence and the team’s mindset after the victory over Anadolu Efes Istanbul a week earlier, the Panathinaikos BC AKTOR center added: “It will be tough without Holmes, but we have Dino (Mitoglou) stepping up. We’ll see who plays at the ‘4,’ but Holmes is an important piece. Obviously, we’re confident after the win over Anadolu Efes. I played the first half — scoring 15 points before halftime was great. I need to build on that, play more, score more, and help the team even more.”