Panathinaikos President: Goal Is a Bigger Brand Than Real Madrid

Panathinaikos President Dimitris Giannakopoulos said in an interview with EuroLeague that he sees Real Madrid as the biggest club in the world, not only in basketball but in general. He added that his long-term goal is to make Panathinaikos a bigger brand than Real Madrid.

Giannakopoulos explained that since the period when basketball became part of his life, one of his dreams has been to become a bigger brand than Real Madrid, rather than simply beating them. The president, who argues that the club has been moving in the right direction in recent years, believes they have surpassed Real Madrid, especially in home arena atmosphere.

When asked where in Europe someone would want to go to watch a match, Giannakopoulos said he does not think people would choose a Real Madrid home game, and he believes people would want to come to the Telekom Center. Panathinaikos has won six EuroLeague titles since 2000, in 2000, 2002, 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2024. Real Madrid, in the same period, has lifted the trophy three times.

The president emphasized that they are the team with the most trophies since the start of the modern EuroLeague era. Referring to the Greek proverb “The enemy of good is better, and the enemy of better is best,” he said the club aims to be the best in every area.