Giorgos Bartzokas fired by Olympiacos

Giorgos BartzokasOlympiacos has parted ways with head coach Giorgos Bartzokas and will look to a new tactician to lead the team through the upcoming season. The decision to sack Bartzokas was made after yet another defeat to bitter rival Panathinaikos, this time in the Greek SuperCup tournament. The departure brings to an end a two year tenure with Olympiacos that brought glittering success in the first season and bitter disappointment in the second.

Giorgos Bartzokas arrived at the Pireus giant in 2012 from fellow Greek A1 team Panionios ON Telecoms Athens. He took over a Euroleague winning team and cemented Olympiacos’ position at the top of European Basketball by retaining the Euroleague and winning the Greek A1 during the 2012/2013 season. It was a huge achievement and Bartzokas picked up the Euroleague Coach of the Year award for his exploits.

While he guided the team to the business end of the season during the 2013/2014 campaign, the outcome for Olympiacos was in stark contrast to the huge success of 2013. The team lost its Euroleague crown at the quart-final stage and also yielded the Greek A1, allowing domestic and continental rival Panathinaikos an easy access to the title.

While it looked as though the club would stick by Bartzokas for the 2014/2015 season, defeat to the Greens in the SuperCup proved the last straw. The 77-76 loss against a Panathinaikos team missing many of its stars meant Olympiacos had to face up to another bitter blow against their foe. While the team will live to fight another day, Bartzokas has paid with his job.

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