The second Greek Basketball League finals match between Olympiacos and Panathinaikos at the Peace and Friendship Stadium (SEF) turned from a high-stakes derby into a dramatic political and legal showdown on Sunday night, following a series of explosive incidents involving Panathinaikos owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos.
Olympiacos secured a 91–83 victory, levelling the best-of-five series at 1–1 after a disappointing Game 1 loss. However, the on-court action was overshadowed by controversy, allegations of racial abuse, and a dramatic departure that saw Giannakopoulos leaving the arena amid claims he was avoiding arrest.
Ten minutes before tip-off, Dimitris Giannakopoulos entered SEF wearing a t-shirt bearing the initials “Π.Κ.Π.Γ.” — a reference to a controversial Olympiacos fan slogan. He approached the scorer’s table to demand the recording of abusive chants from home fans and then made provocative gestures toward Olympiacos supporters.
Players and officials from both teams, including Olympiacos’ general director Nikos Lepeniotis and a public prosecutor, tried to calm him down. Moments before the game began, referees reportedly advised him to exit the court. Giannakopoulos then left the venue entirely, allegedly to avoid a looming arrest order from the public prosecutor.
Following the match, Olympiacos owners Giorgos and Panagiotis Angelopoulos accused Giannakopoulos of making vile threats, including an alleged comment about harming one of their daughters. “He is the definition of violence,” said Giorgos Angelopoulos, demanding Giannakopoulos’ immediate arrest.
Olympiacos also released a statement claiming that police chased Giannakopoulos from the stadium after a warrant was issued for his arrest. By halftime, Olympiacos officially announced that a prosecutor had ordered his apprehension.
In a statement, Panathinaikos denied that Giannakopoulos left to avoid arrest, insisting he was never informed of any warrant. The club stated he chose to exit due to “vile abuse” directed at him and his daughter, which security failed to address.
They also clarified that Giannakopoulos had not been expelled from the court by the referees but left voluntarily to discuss the situation with the prosecutor.
Olympiacos coach Giorgos Bartzokas acknowledged the toxic environment, saying: “It’s wrong to insult Giannakopoulos’ family — but the same happens at OAKA.” He added, “We have the quality and unity to meet these challenges.”
Panathinaikos coach Ergin Ataman condemned racist chants directed at Turkey, calling them “unacceptable and racist.” He added, “Those who insulted Giannakopoulos’ family are disgraceful.” Ataman also criticized the referees and promised a fiery return leg: “See you Wednesday at OAKA.”
Later, Giannakopoulos took to Instagram, denouncing the night’s events:
“In all my years in sport, I have never experienced such disgrace. My family and children were abused, and rather than condemn it, Olympiacos filed a complaint against me for responding with a middle finger. This is a state where Olympiacos is the government.”
He called on Greek authorities to finally take action.
