Pini Gershon is one of the best in the business when it comes to turning basketball teams into winners and now Bulgaria have enlisted his services for the next two summers.

That was confirmed on Sunday when the Olympiacos coach met with representatives of the Bulgarian Federation in Athens and agreed to coach the team through the summer of 2009 when the EuroBasket is staged in Poland.

So what has brought one of the most famous coaches in Europe to Bulgaria?

Firstly, Gershon is an Israeli whose grandfather was not only Bulgarian, but a rabbi of Plovdiv - the second most populated city in the country.

Secondly, Gershon likes a challenge and with Bulgaria he'll have one.

		“	I know this is a tough job. If it was easy, you would not need me.	„
		Pini Gershon

As far as a salary all those factors add up to zero.

Gershon will work under a contract which pays him nothing monetarily as he attempt to lead Bulgaria into the elite of European basketball.

After the country did so well to reach EuroBasket 2005 in Serbia & Montenegro, they failed to even qualify for this summer's event in Spain.

One Bulgarian journalist who made the long trek to Athens to attend the great man's press conference on Sunday, asked: "Do you know that this is a tough job to qualify the Bulgarian team to EuroBasket 2009?"

Gershon replied: "I know this is a tough job. If it was easy, you would not need me."
 
Another journalist eluded to the fact that coaching Bulgaria won't be as lucrative as coaching Olympiacos.

"I didn't take the job for the money," Gershon said. "I always look for new challenges and this isn't going to be an easy challenge."

Gershon, he said, was very impressed by the determined approach Bulgaria took with him.

"The Bulgarian Basketball Federation showed me how much they wanted me by coming to Athens twice, especially to see me, and I appreciate that," he said.

According to the federation, Gershon intends to visit Plovdiv with his family in the summer.

Gershon is best known for his great run at Maccabi Tel Aviv. Included in his achievements with the Israel giants was a SuproLeague title in 2000-01 and then back-to-back Euroleague crowns in 2003-04 and 2004-05.

His contract with Olympiacos runs out after this season, but the club expect to have discussions on a new deal this summer.