Yiannakis is eagerly awaiting his team captain Papaloukas
Olympiakos is looking forward to the return to action by the skipper of its basketball team, Theodoris Papaloukas. The former CSKA Moscow player, who is also the captain of the national team, began training yesterday with the squad, and coach Panayiotis Yiannakis is hoping he can gear up in time for the friendly tournament the Reds are to play this weekend in Italy. Olympiakos will face Biella, Virtus Bologna and Milano. In the friendly games Olympiakos played on Rhodes it had one win and two losses, defeating only the host, Kolossos, 88-82 on Monday. The absence of an experienced playmaker forced Yiannakis to use youngsters Igor Milosevic and Costas Sloukas in position No 1. Serb players Zoran Erceg and Milos Teodosic are also set to join the rest of the squad today. Moscow final Rival Panathinaikos is tonight playing in the final of the Alexander Gomelsky Cup tournament in Moscow, after beating Maccabi Tel Aviv 100-96 after extra time on Monday. Greece international Vassilis Spanoulis gave the Greeks the win with a crucial steal in Maccabi’s last attack. The champions are facing Zalgiris Kaunas at 7.30 p.m. today in one of the most prestigious pre-season tournaments in Europe. New Serb signings Dusan Kecman and Nikola Pekovic have not yet joined the squad.
