Ergin Ataman and TJ Shorts spoke on behalf of Panathinaikos AKTOR ahead of tomorrow’s EuroLeague season opener against FC Bayern Munich (September 30, 21:15).

The head coach of the “Greens” said initially: “The most important thing is to be mentally ready after such a long break. The official games are starting, and regardless of the opponent, we have to be prepared—that’s the reality. The season begins now. FC Bayern Munich has many new players, just like we do—key players who will be playing their first official home game tomorrow. It’ll be important to play aggressive defense and find a way to win.”

He continued, commenting on the team’s current level of readiness: “We’re at 40%—we’re about 40% ready. But even with that, we need to play aggressively. To succeed, we’ll need the help of our fans because OAKA is always a ‘hot’ venue. That will be an advantage for us—starting the season at home, even if we’re only at 40% readiness. Either way, we all have to find a way to win. At this stage of the season, I’m not too optimistic that we’ll play excellent basketball. Maybe we won’t play great basketball right now, but we must be aggressive and fight for the win.”

Regarding the team’s injury report, Ataman stated: “Cedi (Osman) will definitely not play tomorrow. Our medical staff will try to get him ready for the game against FC Barcelona. Mathias (Lessort), as you know, is expected to return in November. Even I don’t know exactly when he’ll be back in training and matches. TJ (Shorts) is fine—he’s trained the last three days and has no issues.”

Asked about the new EuroLeague regulations and whether he plans to repeat something he’s done in the past, he replied: “Definitely, I won’t do it again. Previously, the rules allowed it, and I had done it a few times—either for tactical reasons or out of frustration. Now, of course not. I’ll be smart about it. Since the rule has changed, we’ll follow it. No problem.”

From his side, TJ Shorts stated: “I’m doing well—I’m ready to play, and so is the team. Preparation was different this year with EuroBasket and Australia. I was very sick during that time. There were ups and downs in our preparation—not just for me. We’ve only had four full-team practices together, getting to know each other, figuring out how we all play.

I’m ready, but we still have a lot to learn. It’s about practice and building chemistry. We’ve got new guys, but we’re all excited for tomorrow. It’s a big month ahead, and we’re ready to play against Bayern Munich.
We’re focusing on ourselves. There’s been a lot of talk about the roster and how it was built, but we just need to do what we do. Our fans will show up—no doubt about it. And if you don’t have anything else to play for, then play for them.”

Asked if he’s excited to play in front of the Panathinaikos AKTOR fans, the 27-year-old guard replied: “I’m super excited. I’ve been waiting for this moment. Tomorrow, when I wake up, I know I’ll be wishing it was already game time. It’s been a long preparation period, but I’m ready.”