Translator mistakenly names Olympiacos during Zeljko Obradovic press conference

On June 22, 2026, during the official presentation of head coach Zeljko Obradovic by Panathinaikos BC at the Telekom Center in Athens, an incident occurred involving an interpreter. While translating, the interpreter accidentally stated that 'Olympiacos is a great team' instead of referring to Panathinaikos. This slip of the tongue triggered laughter among the attendees and was acknowledged by the interpreter with an immediate apology. Panathinaikos owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos and coach Zeljko Obradovic reacted to the error with smiles. According to reports, Giannakopoulos visibly reacted by shifting in his seat and making a spitting gesture, commonly used in Greek culture to ward off bad luck, before joining in the laughter. The event, which included Obradovic addressing Frangiskos Alvertis in Greek, was otherwise focused on his return to the club. The viral clip from the press conference appeared at the 47:30 mark of the official footage.