On Saturday, November 23, during the Greek National Basketball Team’s return flight from England, many noticed Vassilis Spanoulis sitting deep in thought, as if lost in his own world. It was well past midnight. The team had just endured a defeat against England and a lengthy delay at the airport before finally boarding a flight to Athens, with a connection to Thessaloniki.
Some assumed the 42-year-old coach was dissecting the lost game, which he likely was for a while. However, no one knew that his mind was also processing a proposal he had received. That proposal came from Monaco’s basketball team, which was seeking a new head coach following the departure of Sasa Obradovic. When the team landed at Macedonia Airport in the early hours of Saturday – the clock showing ten minutes to 2:00 AM – Spanoulis, his players, and the national team staff were exhausted.
Equally weary, it seems, were Monaco’s representatives, who reportedly flew to Thessaloniki on Sunday to secure a “yes” from Kill Bill, their top choice.
But they would have to wait a few more days…
The Pressure and the Leak
Five days before November 23 and the national team’s grueling return journey, on the 18th of the month, Monaco’s powerful basketball owner, Alexey Fedorovich, dismissed Sasa Obradovic, blaming him for the team’s poor performance in the French league. The next day, the website Basket News published a report stating that Monaco had shown heightened interest in hiring Vassilis Spanoulis as head coach.
The leak, according to rumors, is attributed to Kill Bill’s shrewd manager, Misko Raznatovic, who was reportedly the first to receive a call from Monaco regarding his client.
From that moment on, November 19, Monaco’s management began discreetly pressuring Spanoulis’ camp for a swift signature. Despite other free-agent coaches like the illustrious Sergio Scariolo, Monaco was determined to land Spanoulis.
Despite the pressing interest, Spanoulis kept silent about the offer, focusing on the upcoming matches against Great Britain. According to insiders, apart from Raznatovic and his wife Olympia, nobody else could get him to talk.
As the phone calls increased, Alexey Fedorovich personally reached out to the 42-year-old coach, followed closely by Monaco’s general manager.
The Deal Comes Together
Some believe that, in addition to Monaco’s owner, Spanoulis received calls from two Greek players, Giorgos Papagiannis and Nick Calathes, both of whom play for Monaco and maintain close friendships with him, urging him to consider the offer.
Spanoulis, recognizing Fedorovich’s serious approach, was briefed on the financial terms and other details. However, he had little time to deliberate following the November 21 loss to Great Britain. By the time of the second match on Sunday, November 24, Kill Bill had yet to disclose anything about the ongoing negotiations.
Impatient for a resolution, Monaco’s representatives reportedly arrived in Thessaloniki on the day of Greece’s crucial EuroBasket qualifier. They stayed at a local hotel but refrained from contacting Spanoulis, respecting his focus on the pivotal game. They remained in close communication with Raznatovic, determined to seal the deal without delay.
The Signing, the Salary, and the Home in Nice
Greece defeated Great Britain 77-67 last Sunday, and immediately after the game, Coach Spanoulis acknowledged for the first time in public the interest from the French team. When asked if his appointment as Monaco’s head coach was a done deal, he replied with six words: “No, no, we’ll see, we’ll see.” During the press conference, he remained firm: “I don’t want to talk about Monaco; it’s unfair to the National Team and the players.”
By Monday, the deal was in its final stages, with the last details concerning his salary, the team he wanted to bring with him, and other parameters being ironed out. Ultimately, he signed a two-year contract, with an optional third year, totaling €2.5 million. His manager, Misko Raznatovic, celebrated the news, as did Monaco’s executives.
Spanoulis is expected to reside in a home in Nice, as do most of the team’s players, including star Mike James. Living in Monaco was deemed financially impractical, even with Fedorovich’s millions, due to the exorbitant rent prices.
Raznatovic shared a photo of his client signing the contract, his face hinting at a smile, and praised him, declaring that Kill Bill was returning to where he belongs. As Pero Antic, a former basketball star, humorously recounts: “Misko every night before bed brushes his teeth, says his prayers, and then looks at a photo of Spanoulis and says: ‘God, keep him safe.’”
Spanoulis' first practice in Monacopic.twitter.com/j5igyeVt3b
— Harris Stavrou (@harris_stavrou) November 27, 2024
The Family, the Helicopter, and a Return to OAKA
The coach’s decision to move abroad was met, predictably, with mixed emotions by his large family. Joy over the agreement with one of the EuroLeague’s top teams, but sadness too, as he would be away from his children for months.
With the eldest of his six children, 14-year-old Thanasis, and the youngest, 4-year-old Alexandra, relocating the entire family to Monaco was not feasible at this time. Five of the couple’s six children are in school, and uprooting them mid-year to adapt to a foreign environment would be challenging. Those close to Spanoulis know that such a move would only happen if his children wanted it. Olympia, his supportive wife, always stands by his decisions.
For now, balancing his new responsibilities – as he remains head coach of the National Team – Kill Bill will try to carve out time for his family. Sources say he plans to visit Greece one or two days occasionally to see his beloved children. There will also be a break during the Christmas and New Year holidays.
Last Wednesday, a helicopter took him from Nice to Monaco for his first meeting with the team and his inaugural press conference as head coach. The following day, he spoke to EuroLeague TV, confirming with humor that he hadn’t started learning French yet: “I’ll try to learn. My wife has been studying French for the past year and a half without knowing we’d end up here. So, she’s ready to speak French,” he joked.
In a twist of fate, Spanoulis’s return to the EuroLeague as Monaco’s head coach happened at OAKA last Friday night, against this year’s European champions, Panathinaikos. Despite the less-than-ideal circumstances, Spanoulis turned the tide, leading Monaco to a thrilling 91-88 victory!
