Olympiacos vs Fenerbahce in Crete: The First Big Test of the Season

Numbers are just a map; feelings are the real court. But before everything is tested on the official EuroLeague floor, Olympiacos faces a big question: how will Bartzokas' team look against Fenerbahce in the preseason, just two days after the full squad gathered? This is not an ordinary friendly. The Crete IBT Euroleague tournament put Olympiacos in a special situation: facing Fenerbahce directly, a rival also undergoing roster refresh, then meeting again just days later in the Abu Dhabi Super Cup semi-final on September 18. Two games against the same opponent in less than a week — that's not coincidence, but a deliberately staged test by EuroLeague to create a marquee early-season storyline. But the real story lies elsewhere: Olympiacos enters the season with a significantly changed roster. According to gathered information, Papanikolaou is absent due to an injury from national team duty — a worrying sign for a 34-year-old who remains the defensive anchor and the locker room soul. Meanwhile, Larentzakis did not travel with the team, heading to new destination AEK. Old pieces leave, new pieces arrive — and Jean Montero, the 21-year-old talent who once entered the NBA draft, is one of the most notable new pieces. Bartzokas, who has coached Olympiacos since 2026, shows no concern. "Players left, players came but our goal remains always the same," he said. That statement shows mental stability, but also raises questions about the speed at which newcomers absorb his well-established tactical system — one demanding defensive discipline and precise ball movement. For a player like Montero, who spent time at Real Madrid and Granada, the story is not just about talent. "Olympiacos is a challenge and I like challenges," he shared. But the challenge here is not just scoring; it's learning to operate within an organized system where every movement has purpose and every defensive action has a specific task. Notable is the dense early-season schedule. The Crete friendly, then the Abu Dhabi Super Cup, then immediately the start of the official EuroLeague season. This is a significant pressure, especially when the full squad only gathered two days before the Fenerbahce game. Bartzokas is accepting risk to maximize competitive reps — a sign he values sharpening the roster over protecting preseason record. I have seen Croatia burn amid a massive crowd, and I know this gamble is a choice of the heart. But here, in Crete, Bartzokas' gamble is a calculated choice. He knows the EuroLeague season will not forgive slow-starting teams. If Montero and other newcomers cannot integrate quickly, Olympiacos may pay the price in the early rounds. Another blind spot not everyone notices: Tzirovic's criticism of Miller-McIntyre, along with praise for Francisco, may signal an internal debate around the point guard position. If Miller-McIntyre is being publicly scrutinized, Montero's role could expand faster than planned. This is a variable the coaching staff must handle skillfully. From the ashes of the pandemic season, I saw communities not die, only change colors. And in Crete, Olympiacos is proving they do not fear change. They are rebuilding, in their own way, with a single goal: returning to the Final Four and claiming the EuroLeague title. Belief needs no evidence, but evidence is born after belief. The Fenerbahce game in Crete, then the Abu Dhabi Super Cup semi-final, will be the first pieces of evidence. And I will watch them with the eyes of someone who learned to read the game with the heart, not just with spreadsheets. In Atlanta, I learned what xG never measures: the roar of the stadium at minute 80 that no one believed. And in Crete, I am waiting for a similar moment — the moment Olympiacos shows they are not just a strong team on paper, but a collective that knows how to win when nothing is perfect yet. The ashes of that year did not silence me. They taught me how to wipe the keyboard and keep typing. And this season, I will keep writing about Olympiacos — not because they are ranked first or second, but because they are showing something important: how a big club navigates transition without losing its identity.