Julio Lamas, former coach of the Argentine basketball team and with a vast experience in the National League, considered today that the relegation of Atenas de Córdoba was “like that of River in football and that it will help him to wake up”, after the series of permanence in which he lost the category when he fell to San Lorenzo.
“The National League is going to continue the same with Athens or without Athens, as it was in football with River’s relegation, this will help them wake up,” Lamas, 58, analyzed in statements to the Super Miter Deportivo radio program.
Lamas, former manager of San Lorenzo, Boca Juniors and Obras Sanitarias, among other clubs, plus Real Madrid in his time in Europe and twice for the Argentina national team (1997-1999 and 2011-2014), referred to a historical event for national basketball as was the relegation of Athens.
The Cordoba team said goodbye to the National League after losing last night against San Lorenzo by 73-62 in the permanence series, and lost the category for the first time after 38 consecutive years at the highest level, being the most winner in the National League with 9 titles.
“”Today the National Basketball League is lacking in talent,” said Lamas, who last led the Japan team between 2017 and 2021 and then switched to soccer when he joined the coaching staff of Abel Balbo, with whom he worked at Central Córdoba de Santiago del Estero and Estudiantes de La Plata.
“It may be that in the next team led by Abel Balbo I will be accompanying him, as long as it is in Buenos Aires. In Estudiantes de la Plata there was no time to capture the idea we had,” concluded Lamas.
The Pichi matches
Héctor “Pichi” Campana, idol and benchmark for Atenas de Córdoba, coincided with Julio Lamas and assured that the comparison with River’s relegation is “valid” to depict this “sad moment” of the greatest winner in the history of the National League of Basketball.
“The comparison that Julio (Lamas) made is valid. You have to do what the other greats did: reflect, change and think about the future,” said Campana, top scorer in the LNB and winner of six titles with Athens, in dialogue with Telam Radio.
“It is very hard to talk about this moment because one remembers the things we went through but the team had been flirting with relegation. As happened to many greats in history and around the world, mistakes and bad decisions lead to poor sports performance “, analyzed the current president of the Córdoba Sports Agency.
“You have to analyze the mistakes, turn the page and think about the future as many teams have done so that the nights of glory return,” added “Pichi”, champion with Athens in 1987, 1988, 1991/92, 1997/98 , 1998/99 and 2002/03.
Campana pointed out that “there are many factors” to analyze the first drop in the club’s history, but pointed out that “affection” prevents him from “being critical”.
“Everyone will have their responsibility,” he remarked and added: “The reality is this and you have to accept it. It’s a sad moment that you have to leave behind because when it comes back it will be a memory, you don’t have to be dramatic.”