Turkish basketball coach reacts to anti-Türkiye chants at match

PIRAEUS  

Greek team Panathinaikos’ Turkish head coach Ergin Ataman was ejected from the court during a heated Greek league playoff game against Olympiacos on June 1, after responding to offensive chants targeting Türkiye.

Olympiacos hosted Panathinaikos in the second game of the playoff semi-finals, securing a 91-83 win to level the series 1-1.

The high-tension match saw Ataman clash with referees and home fans, leading to his expulsion following two technical fouls.

After the game, Ataman condemned the chants from Olympiacos fans that included insults toward Türkiye.

“No one can insult my country. They can insult me, they can insult Panathinaikos, but no one is allowed to insult Türkiye,” Ataman said, adding that he received his second technical foul for reacting to the chants.

Olympiacos owner Panagiotis Angelopoulos further escalated tensions, accusing Ataman of insulting the home crowd and calling for legal action.

“He should be arrested. He is working in a foreign country. The club is fueling violence,” Angelopoulos said.

This is not the first time Ataman has spoken out against anti-Turkish sentiments in Greek sports arenas.

In September last year, during a pre-season friendly against Maccabi Tel Aviv held in the Greek Cypriot administration, Ataman stormed onto the court in protest of a political banner displayed by a Greek fan group.

The banner criticized the so-called Turkish occupation of the island since 1974, when Turkish troops were sent to Cyprus to protect Turkish Cypriots from a wave of ethnic attacks by Greek Cypriots.

It had a map of the island of Cyprus, with the northern part – home to the Turkish Cypriots, founded in 1983 – shown as bleeding.

Ataman was ejected from the game for his reaction.