Panathinaikos owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos aims to surpass Real Madrid brand

Dimitris Giannakopoulos, owner of the Greek basketball club Panathinaikos, has expressed his ambition to transform the team into a larger brand than Real Madrid. While acknowledging Real Madrid as the world's greatest club both in basketball and generally, Giannakopoulos stated that his long-term dream is to achieve greater brand recognition than the Spanish giant.

He highlighted the significant progress made by Panathinaikos in recent years, specifically citing the €35 million investment in the renovation of the Telekom Center in Athens. Giannakopoulos believes the club's home atmosphere is now a primary draw, suggesting that fans across Europe would prefer to attend a game at the Telekom Center over a home game for Real Madrid.

He further noted that the club intends to continue investing in its arena to turn it into a year-round complex rather than just a basketball venue. Panathinaikos has secured six EuroLeague titles since the start of the modern era, including a championship in 2024.