Sani Betsirovic referred to his presence in Panathinaikos, speaking on Slovenian television Sportklub, stating that the chapter with the “Greens” did not close in an ideal way, and was also placed for a possible presence at Olympiacos.
Slovenian, who is now a technical director at Zenit St. Petersburg, spoke about his third and most recent retirement from Panathinaikos (as a player in 2008, as an assistant coach in 2016 and as a technical director in 2024), with himself mentioning that he was the most painful:
“As a player, I chose to go somewhere where I would have a bigger role. As an assistant coach, I knew I was dependent on the first coach. Now … I still feel a bitter taste. In my first year in Panathinaikos we have achieved something that many dreams of: We have won the Euroleague and the championship. And the second year was successful – we reached the Final Four again and got the cup. It is true that we did not play well in the Euroleague final or in the Greek league finals. If I do the report, I’m satisfied. I was expecting we would find common ground to continue, but … the evolution surprised me. This is life, this is sport. “
Whether Athens became his second home:
“The team had been built for the next three years. I worked with the prospect of staying in Panathinaikos for another five or ten years. I feel Athens, Panathinaikos is a family for me, a second home. But some situations have led me to no longer be a member of the club. “
If if he ever went to Olympiacos if he had a proposal:
“No. Let me stop your question here. The answer is clear: no. I would never do it. If I did, I will betray my moral principles. I repeat, the finale of my story with Panathinaikos was not as I wanted it. But the club gave me a lot. And I gave a lot to the green family. There is no amount that would convince me to go to Olympiacos. “