Ergin Ataman was furious about the chants against him and his mother during the Panathinaikos game against Fenerbahce in Istanbul.
The Turkish coach reacted to it in an interview right after the match, and then he talked to the national media reps, where he was still extremly angry.
“This is God’s answer to the fans who insulted my 87-year-old mother when Fenerbahce came back from a 10-point deficit. From that moment we turned the game around and won,” Ataman said.
Later, the Panathinaikos Instagram account posted a video from the locker room where Ataman thanked the players. “When they went up by 10 points, you don’t understand it, but the Turkish players do, 10,000 people here start saying bad words about mother for a long time. And you gave the answer right on the court! Thank you all!” the PAO coach was saying. The episode didn’t go unnoticed by the Turkish forward of the Greek club, Cedi Osman.
“The coach is very upset. I heard what they were saying, I don’t want to repeat it. It was a very bad moment. He’s the national team coach, he shouldn’t have to hear that. It was a bad moment. I’m glad we won,” he said.
