The EuroLeague Final Four reaches its boiling point 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 will be on loggerheads with Panathinaikos in the first semifinal at 7:00 p.m. CET.
Later, at 10:00 p.m. CET, Real Madrid will 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 final at 6:00 p.m. CET.
Spanish giants Real Madrid and Olympiakos, both semifinalists from last season, return to the Final Four.
Last year’s final saw Real Madrid edge out Olympiakos 79-78 to claim the title.
Meanwhile, Barcelona and AS Monaco, who competed in the previous Final Four, were ousted in the playoffs this year, each losing their series in the fifth game on home court.
Fenerbahçe meet Panathinaikos for the 37th time in EuroLeague history, with the Greek side aiming to win the cup for the 7th time under the helm of coach Ergin Ataman.
Panathinaikos finished the regular season in 2nd place with 23 victories under their belt, and in their history, they have managed to claim this prestigious cup six times.
Having clinched the EuroLeague title in 1996, 2000, 2002, 2007, 2009 and 2011, Panathinaikos had to settle for second place in 2001 when they lost to Maccabi Tel Aviv 81-67 in the final, played in Paris under the name SuproLeague.
The team, which won the cup in 2000 and 2002 and made it to the final in 2001, managed to reach the final for three consecutive years.
Coached by Ergin Ataman, who also leads the Turkish national basketball team, Panathinaikos secured their spot in the Final Four by defeating Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv in the playoffs.
Turkish coach Ergin Ataman, at the helm of Panathinaikos, is in pursuit of his third Turkish Airlines EuroLeague championship in his career.
Having led Anadolu Efes to victory in the 2020-2021 and 2021-2022 seasons, winning the cup consecutively, Ataman now aims to experience the same joy with Panathinaikos.
By guiding Panathinaikos to the Final Four, Ataman became one of only seven head coaches to achieve this feat with three different teams.
In the past, names like Zeljko Obradovic, Bozidar Maljkovic, Dusan Ivkovic, Ettore Messina and Ioannis Ioannidis were remembered as coaches who achieved this, and this season, Sarunas Jasikevicius and Ergin Ataman have been added to this list.
The Turkish side, however, has won 17 of their previous encounters, while the Greek team holds 19 victories.
This season, Fenerbahçe triumphed 83-69 at home but fell 74-63 away, marking their first clash in a Final Four setting.
Fenerbahçe’s head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius, the only player to win the EuroLeague with three different teams, aims to join the elite group of those who have lifted the trophy both as a player and a coach.
Jasikevicius won 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, previously welcoming it in 2009 and 2016.
The Uber Arena, a versatile venue opened in 2008, also hosts ice hockey and handball matches.
Renowned globally, it has seen performances by Metallica, Madonna, and U2, among others.
Fenerbahçe Beko will enjoy strong support in Berlin, with Turkish fans from across Germany and neighboring regions expected to fill Uber Arena.
The anticipated fan turnout promises a vibrant atmosphere, boosting Fenerbahçe’s quest for glory.
Berlin is no stranger to historical significance.
Beyond basketball, the city offers cultural treasures like the Pergamon Museum, which attracts over 850,000 visitors annually with its artifacts from Türkiye, including the Pergamon Altar and Athena Temple.
