Panathinaikos Aktor head coach Ergin Ataman took to social media to express his frustration with the officiating after his team’s loss to Olympiacos in the first Greek derby of the 2025–26 season, played at the Peace and Friendship Stadium on Sunday.
Panathinaikos had built a 12-point lead but couldn’t maintain control, ultimately falling to their arch-rivals in the latest chapter of the Derby of the Eternal Enemies.
After initially avoiding any direct criticism of the referees in his postgame interviews, Ataman later broke his silence online.
The 59-year-old coach openly criticized the officiating crew – Ilias Karpanos, Giannis Tsimpouris, and Ioannis Mpakalis – highlighting specific moments he believed were mishandled.
One of his key complaints involved a sequence where a foul originally whistled in favor of Kostas Sloukas was overturned, resulting in free throws for Olympiacos instead.
“The tragicomic part of the video is that the foul was called to Sloukas and the opponent came to the line for two free throws. And yes, it’s not a joke,” Ataman wrote on Instagram, making it clear he considered the reversal absurd.
He also referenced another moment involving physical contact between Sasha Vezenkov and T.J. Shorts II, delivering a sarcastic remark about what he perceived as excessive leniency from the referees.
“We also witnessed the invention of a new sport: Greco-Roman wrestling on a basketball court. A first in world history,” he added.
“We also witnessed the invention of a new sport: Greco-Roman wrestling on a basketball court” – Ergin Ataman on the officiating of the domestic derby between Panathinaikos and Olympiacoshttps://t.co/YnwK8jbaRt
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) October 13, 2025
