Olympiacos to play at SUNEL Arena during SEF reconstruction: 'Our strength is the fans

Olympiacos have confirmed they will temporarily leave the SEF arena and play their home games at SUNEL Arena while waiting for the new SEF facility to be completed and handed over. The Piraeus club did not give a specific timeline, stressing instead that this is only a transitional relocation. According to the official announcement, Olympiacos will play home games at SUNEL Arena for the coming months. The reason is that the SEF arena is undergoing construction work and cannot host matches during this period. It is a logistical puzzle every club must solve when infrastructure is being upgraded; the difference lies in how the club chose to frame the message for its supporters. “The temporary change of venue does not change what we know well: wherever the team plays, its power is the fans,” the Olympiacos statement read. Olympiacos also thanked AEK for making SUNEL Arena available as a temporary home. According to the red-and-white club, AEK’s cooperation and response played a key part in finding the best possible solution for the transitional period. It is a notable situation between two of Greek basketball’s most traditional clubs: rather than picking a neutral site, Olympiacos chose to use a familiar opponent’s arena through a cooperation agreement. The final line of the announcement can be read as a message of reassurance before the team begins life at a different venue: “Until the great return, we continue together.” No further details have been disclosed about the SEF construction schedule or when Olympiacos might return home. The first games at SUNEL Arena will be the true test of whether the club can preserve its home atmosphere in a completely new setting.