Greek team Panathinaikos’ head coach Ergin Ataman has faced a barrage of insulting chants from Israeli supporters before and during a game against Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv, drawing criticism from the Turkish coach over what he described as a lack of intervention by match officials.
The EuroLeague game was played at Menora Mivtachim Arena in Tel Aviv on Jan. 22
Prior to tip-off, around 300 Maccabi supporters gathered near the arena entrance, chanting profanities and insults directed at the Greek club and Ataman, who also serves as head coach of the Turkish national men’s basketball team.
Israeli fans continued to chant profanities inside the arena throughout the game and did not stop after the final whistle.
According to Ataman, fans continued chanting as he was heading to the locker room following the match.
Maccabi Rapyd won the closely contested game 75-71.
Speaking to reporters after the game, Ataman said he was proud of his team’s effort on the court but condemned the behavior of the crowd, stressing that such conduct had no place in professional basketball.
“We fought hard and had many chances to win the game. That is the basketball side of it,” Ataman said. “But what happened outside the game is something else. We come here to do our job. If thousands of people wait in front of the locker room and insult me for 40 minutes, this is not basketball. This is not sport.”
Ataman also criticized what he described as a lack of response from referees and arena officials despite the prolonged nature of the chants.
The incident comes amid broader tensions as supporter groups in Spain, Italy and Greece have previously called for the expulsion of Israeli basketball teams from the EuroLeague through various protests and official statements.
It also follows a pattern of similar incidents involving Ataman, who was ejected from a playoff game last June for responding to anti-Türkiye chants and stormed the court during a friendly match in September 2024 to protest a political banner targeting Turkish Cyprus.
