Starting today and running until Sunday, May 25, the pulse of European basketball will be strong at YAS Island in Abu Dhabi, particularly for fans of Olympiacos and Panathinaikos, who are eager to witness their teams claim another EuroLeague title.
Just like last year’s Final Four in Berlin, this year in Abu Dhabi, two Greek teams are among the finalists:
- Panathinaikos, reigning champions with seven titles, and
- Olympiacos, regular season leaders making their fourth consecutive Final Four appearance, having won three titles so far.
The Final Four Opening Press Conference did not disappoint! 🤩
Familiar faces both on the stage and in the audience 🙌 #F4GLORY pic.twitter.com/qOBqHkMdOL
— Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) May 22, 2025
However, both Ergin Ataman’s and Giorgos Bartzokas’ teams must first navigate the challenges posed by Fenerbahçe, helmed by Šarūnas Jasikevičius, and Monaco, coached by Vassilis Spanoulis. Only with successful outcomes can they compete in the tournament’s first all-Greek final.
Olympiacos – Chasing Redemption
Under the guidance of Panagiotis and Giorgos Angelopoulos, Olympiacos topped the EuroLeague regular season and is pursuing their first title since 2013 in London, which would mark their fourth overall, all during their 100th anniversary year. They seek to break the trend of no team winning after completing the regular season in first place.
Panathinaikos – The Defending Champion
Coached by Dimitris Giannakopoulos, Panathinaikos, who finished third in the regular season, aims to defend their title from last year, striving for a potential first-ever back-to-back win and to add an eighth star to their jersey. Historical data supports them with 7 wins in 7 finals.
Both Vassilis Spanoulis (Monaco) and Šarūnas Jasikevičius (Fenerbahçe) are vying to become the third individual in 62 years to win the EuroLeague as both a player and coach, joining the ranks of:
- Armenak Alachachian (Armenian-Soviet player-coach),
- Lolo Sainz, and
- Svetislav Pešić.
SEMIFINAL A: Fenerbahçe vs Panathinaikos (May 23, 18:00)
The first semifinal features Panathinaikos facing off against Fenerbahçe at 18:00, a rematch of last year’s Final Four where the Greens eliminated their Istanbul rivals.
With a record of twelve Final Four appearances (thirteen including the Suproleague) and seven titles, Panathinaikos meets Fenerbahçe once more, now with Jasikevičius at the helm, marking his return to the Final Four since 2019.
Last year, Panathinaikos triumphed over Fener 73–57 in Berlin before defeating the defending champion Real Madrid in the final. This year, both teams return with different aspirations.
Fenerbahçe possesses just one EuroLeague title, achieved in 2017 in Istanbul with Željko Obradović, during which current Panathinaikos captain Kostas Sloukas played.
Sarunas Jasikevicius is making his sixth consecutive Final Four appearance and is eager for a trophy this time around.
Meanwhile, Panathinaikos aims for consecutive titles—a feat they have never accomplished. Ergin Ataman’s goal is to be the first coach to achieve this twice with different teams.
Coach Remarks:
Ergin Ataman (Panathinaikos):
“I’m proud to be back at the Final Four, but I’m focused solely on the task at hand and confident in my team’s mental preparation.”
“I’m not preoccupied with the potential for back-to-back titles. I’m proud of my previous three EuroLeague wins, and I’m committed to defending this title. I believe we will secure another victory,” Ataman stated during the official press conference with the four coaches and players.
Šarūnas Jasikevičius (Fenerbahçe):
He highlighted the need for a strong start while referencing last year’s match:
“I hope we can start on time—not like in Berlin. We need to perform better this time around, having been in a similar situation for two years,” he remarked.
Fenerbahce secured 2nd place in the regular season, just one win shy of Panathinaikos.
They achieved the only playoff “sweep”, eliminating Paris 3-0.
Panathinaikos qualified as the 3rd seed and required a Game 5 to get past Anadolu Efes, dealing with key injuries along the way.
Notably, starting center Mathias Lessort’s absence has been felt, yet they still reached Abu Dhabi.
Lessort’s return against Fenerbahce, led by Nigel Hayes-Davis, contrasts with Scottie Wilbekin’s ACL injury prior to the season.
Panathinaikos averages 87.3 points per game offensively, while Fenerbahçe scores 83.8.
Defensively, Fenerbahçe allows 81 points per game, while Panathinaikos concedes 83.1. In terms of offensive rebounds, Fenerbahçe shows strength, but Panathinaikos leads in assists and steals.
Players like McCollum, Baldwin, Coulson, Bibberovic, Hall, Pierre, and Guduric can contribute if Hayes-Davis is contained.
If Lessort is on the court, Panathinaikos will look to dominate in the paint against Fenerbahçe’s Sertac Sanli and Khem Birch.
The officiating team for the first semifinal includes Carlos Peruga, Robert Lottermoser, and Mehdi Difallah.
SECOND SEMIFINAL: Olympiacos vs Monaco (22/5, 21:00)
Olympiacos aims to overcome past disappointments in Belgrade (2022), Kaunas (2023), and Berlin (2024), where they fell short against Vasilije Micić, Sergio Llull, and Real Madrid, respectively. This time, they set their sights on the UAE, specifically at the “Etihad Arena” in Abu Dhabi.
Fate brings former Olympiacos player and their current coach, the legendary Vassilis Spanoulis, who represents Olympiacos’ first opponent in the EuroLeague Final Four semifinal this year.
Giorgos Bartzokas, in his sixth Final Four appearance (five with Olympiacos, one with Lokomotiv Kuban), seeks to become the second Greek coach to achieve two EuroLeague titles, following Dimitris Itoudis, while being the first to do so with a Greek team.
His adversary on the opposing bench is Spanoulis, with whom he celebrated Olympiacos’ latest EuroLeague title in London in 2013. The Olympiacos squad will be eager to see Spanoulis leave disappointed on May 23 in Abu Dhabi.
“Being part of such an event is significant,” Bartzokas stated at the pre-match press conference. “Competing for the fourth time in a row is remarkable, but not enough. Our goal is to win the trophy and hopefully have more luck this year.”
Regarding facing his former player, he remarked:
“Playing against Spanoulis is a different experience; we celebrated together in 2013 when we won the title, but now we are opponents.”
Vassilis Spanoulis, the former captain whose No. 7 jersey was the first to be retired by Olympiacos, shared:
“It’s going to be a battle for 40 minutes. My love for Olympiacos remains, but we are rivals now. It’s a tougher scenario for my children, who root for Olympiacos. Coaching is easier than playing; I pushed myself so hard that I lost my hair. I’m grateful Monaco gave me the chance to lead a capable team in the Final Four.”
Sasha Vezenkov, Giannoulis Larentzakis, and Stefanos Spartalis spoke from Abu Dhabi on Olympiacos TV, emphasizing their commitment to the semifinal against Monaco. The Bulgarian star expressed that they feel no pressure, while Larentzakis assured fans that the team will give their all on the court. The young center stated they are determined to honor their supporters who traveled to the UAE capital.
