The EuroLeague exit and what Montero really said
The headline of the week was not what Panathinaikos did. It was what Valencia's Jean Montero said about them. After completing a reverse sweep to eliminate Panathinaikos from the EuroLeague playoffs and reach the Final Four, Montero described a precise psychological turning point: after winning Game 3, he told his teammates that Panathinaikos were afraid (27) (29) (31) (32). It was not trash talk. It was a clinical reading of a team that had run out of mental fuel at the decisive moment.
That is a damning verdict to carry into the off-season. A squad that had reached the EuroLeague Final Four in previous seasons showed, according to their opponents, visible signs of psychological fragility when the series turned. Whatever the tactical explanation, that is a character question that Dimitris Giannakopoulos and Ergin Ataman will need to answer over the summer (8).
The Ataman question
Speaking of Ataman: his future at the club is genuinely uncertain. Reports this week indicate that his staying may depend heavily on what Olympiakos do in their own European campaign. If Olympiakos lift the trophy, the dynamic at the top of Greek basketball shifts, and the pressure on Panathinaikos management to make changes intensifies (9) (15). Ataman has not publicly walked away, but the conditions attached to his continuation tell their own story. This is not a coach whose position is secure. It is a coach whose position is contingent.
The EuroLeague coaching carousel adds further noise. Spanoulis, Itoudis, and Pascual are all being mentioned in connection with clubs including Panathinaikos, Hapoel, and Efes (33). Whether any of those names becomes relevant to the Panathinaikos bench depends on decisions that have not yet been made. But the fact that their coach's name is already being weighed against alternatives, mid-playoffs, is a signal in itself.
The basketball squad: three down, more questions ahead
On the court, Panathinaikos head into their Greek Basketball League playoff game against Mykonos without Kendrick Nunn (neck), Kenneth Faried (bone edema in the left shin), and Panagiotis Kalaitzakis (ankle sprain) (1) (2) (25). Kostas Sloukas also remains unavailable (2). That is four players out for a team trying to maintain playoff momentum domestically after the EuroLeague elimination. The basketball operation is stretched thin right now, and the timing is brutal.
Despite those absences, Panathinaikos AKTOR are aiming to complete a sweep of Mykonos and advance to the Greek Basketball League semi-finals (34). Winning while depleted would at least demonstrate something about squad depth and collective resilience, two qualities the EuroLeague exit called into question.
Football: the Leoforou farewell and a busy transfer desk
Switch to green football, and the week carried symbolic weight. Sunday's Super League match against PAOK at Leoforou is the stadium's final competitive fixture before a farewell to that era (28). Rafa Benitez's side has no title implications riding on the result — the league table is settled — but pride and occasion demand a performance. Benitez is planning lineup adjustments following the injury to Tetteh, which has altered his tactical options ahead of the game (10) (7).
On the transfer front, Panathinaikos have been linked with two Balkan players with Thessaloniki roots: goalkeeper Dominik Kotarski, formerly of PAOK, and Uros Racic (35). Both are unconfirmed at this stage. The broader message from ownership is that significant squad changes are coming this summer (8). Giannakopoulos appears ready to press the reset button, and the scale of that reset, both in football and basketball, will define what the 2025–26 season looks like.
What to watch next week
Three things deserve close attention. First, does the football team send Leoforou off with a win against PAOK, and does Benitez's lineup selection reveal anything about his thinking for next season? Second, can the basketball squad close out Mykonos without four of their key players, and does Ataman show signs of a tactical adjustment that might justify confidence in his continued role? Third, watch for any movement on the coaching front. The EuroLeague off-season rarely stays quiet for long, and Panathinaikos are at the centre of the speculation. This week set the questions. The coming days will start shaping the answers.