The EuroLeague Final Four reaches its boiling level on Friday in Berlin, bringing a showdown of elite basketball at Uber Arena.
Solely representing Türkiye, Fenerbahçe Beko will battle for supremacy alongside Spain’s Real Madrid and Greece’s powerhouses, Panathinaikos and Olympiakos.
The Yellow Canaries shall be on loggerheads with Panathinaikos within the first semifinal at 7:00 p.m. CET.
Later, at 10:00 p.m. CET, Real Madrid can have a date with Olympiakos.
The winners will vie for the championship on Sunday, at 9:00 p.m. CET.
The third-place match will precede the ultimate at 6:00 p.m. CET.
Spanish giants Real Madrid and Olympiakos, each semifinalists from final season, return to the Final Four.
Last 12 months’s closing noticed Real Madrid edge out Olympiakos 79-78 to assert the title.
Meanwhile, Barcelona and AS Monaco, who competed within the earlier Final Four, had been ousted within the playoffs this 12 months, every dropping their collection within the fifth sport on dwelling courtroom.
Fenerbahçe meet Panathinaikos for the thirty seventh time in EuroLeague historical past, with the Greek facet aiming to win the cup for the seventh time below the helm of coach Ergin Ataman.
Panathinaikos completed the common season in 2nd place with 23 victories below their belt, and of their historical past, they’ve managed to assert this prestigious cup six instances.
Having clinched the EuroLeague title in 1996, 2000, 2002, 2007, 2009 and 2011, Panathinaikos needed to accept second place in 2001 after they misplaced to Maccabi Tel Aviv 81-67 within the closing, performed in Paris below the identify SuproLeague.
The group, which gained the cup in 2000 and 2002 and made it to the ultimate in 2001, managed to achieve the ultimate for 3 consecutive years.
Coached by Ergin Ataman, who additionally leads the Turkish nationwide basketball group, Panathinaikos secured their spot within the Final Four by defeating Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv within the playoffs.
Turkish coach Ergin Ataman, on the helm of Panathinaikos, is in pursuit of his third Turkish Airlines EuroLeague championship in his profession.
Having led Anadolu Efes to victory within the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 seasons, profitable the cup consecutively, Ataman now goals to expertise the identical pleasure with Panathinaikos.
By guiding Panathinaikos to the Final Four, Ataman grew to become one in all solely seven head coaches to realize this feat with three totally different groups.
In the previous, names like Zeljko Obradovic, Bozidar Maljkovic, Dusan Ivkovic, Ettore Messina and Ioannis Ioannidis had been remembered as coaches who achieved this, and this season, Sarunas Jasikevicius and Ergin Ataman have been added to this record.
The Turkish facet, nonetheless, has gained 17 of their earlier encounters, whereas the Greek group holds 19 victories.
This season, Fenerbahçe triumphed 83-69 at dwelling however fell 74-63 away, marking their first conflict in a Final Four setting.
Fenerbahçe’s head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius, the one participant to win the EuroLeague with three totally different groups, goals to hitch the elite group of those that have lifted the trophy each as a participant and a coach.
Jasikevicius gained titles with Barcelona (2003), Maccabi Tel Aviv (2004), and Panathinaikos (2009).
Achieving this feat would place him alongside Armenak Alachachan, Lolo Sainz, and Svetislav Pesic.
This marks the third time Berlin hosts the EuroLeague Final Four, beforehand welcoming it in 2009 and 2016.
The Uber Arena, a flexible venue opened in 2008, additionally hosts ice hockey and handball matches.
Renowned globally, it has seen performances by Metallica, Madonna, and U2, amongst others.
Fenerbahçe Beko will get pleasure from sturdy help in Berlin, with Turkish followers from throughout Germany and neighboring areas anticipated to fill Uber Arena.
The anticipated fan turnout guarantees a vibrant environment, boosting Fenerbahçe’s quest for glory.
Berlin isn’t any stranger to historic significance.
Beyond basketball, town affords cultural treasures just like the Pergamon Museum, which attracts over 850,000 guests yearly with its artifacts from Türkiye, together with the Pergamon Altar and Athena Temple.
Source: www.dailysabah.com
