EuroLeague Final Four

The EuroLeague Final Four is the final four format championship of the European-wide top-tier level EuroLeague professional club basketball competition. The Euroleague Basketball Company used the final four format for the first time in 2002, following the 2001 FIBA SuproLeague Final Four, which was the last final four held by FIBA Europe. In the original FIBA Europe competition, as seen below, the final four was used for the first time at the 1966 FIBA European Champions Cup Final Four. The final four format was used again the next year, with the 1967 FIBA European Champions Cup Final Four, but was then abandoned.

The final four finally returned as the format of choice, for the first time during its modern era, with the 1988 FIBA European Champions Cup Final Four. It is known as the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four for name sponsorship reasons. Panathinaikos has been the most successful team at the EuroLeague Final Four, since the modern final four era began in the 1987–88 season, winning the title 6 times (1996, 2000, 2002, 2007, 2009, 2011).

The EuroLeague Final Four is broadcast on TV in up to 213 countries and territories.[1]

History

Names of the Final Four

  • FIBA era (1958–2001):
    • FIBA European Champions Cup Final Four (1966–1967, 1988–1991)
    • FIBA European League Final Four ("FIBA EuroLeague Final Four") (1992–1996)
    • FIBA EuroLeague Final Four (1997–2000)[2]
    • FIBA SuproLeague Final Four (2001)
  • Euroleague Basketball era (since 2000):
    • Euroleague Final Four (2002–2016)
    • EuroLeague Final Four (since 2017)

Historical changes

The first time the EuroLeague used a Final Four format to decide its league champion, was at the conclusion of the 1965–66 and 1966–67 seasons, when it held the 1966 FIBA European Champions Cup Final Four, and the 1967 FIBA European Champions Cup Final Four. Those first two final fours were won by Simmenthal Milano (1966) and Real Madrid (1967). FIBA Europe did not use the final four format again until the 1987–88 season, when it held the 1988 FIBA European Champions Cup Final Four, which was also won by Tracer Milano.

The EuroLeague Final Four has been held every year since, with FIBA Europe organizing it until 2001, and the Euroleague Basketball Company organizing it since 2002.

There were two separate competitions during the 2000–01 season. The SuproLeague, which was organized by FIBA, and the EuroLeague, which was organized by Euroleague Basketball Company. Euroleague Basketball Company's EuroLeague competition, in its inaugural year, used a playoff format, with the two professional teams from Bologna (Virtus and Fortitudo), AEK, and TAU reaching the tournament's semifinals. Virtus was the winner of the 2001 Euroleague Finals.

EuroLeague Final Four by season

Final Fours organized by FIBA
Final Fours organized by EuroLeague Basketball
Year Host city Champion Runner-up Third place Fourth place
FIBA European Champions Cup Final Four (early events)
1966 Bologna Simmenthal Milano Slavia VŠ Praha CSKA Moscow AEK
1967 Madrid Real Madrid Simmenthal Milano AŠK Olimpija Slavia VŠ Praha
FIBA European Champions Cup Final Four
1988 Ghent Tracer Milano Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv Partizan Aris
1989 Munich Jugoplastika Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv Aris FC Barcelona
1990 Zaragoza Jugoplastika FC Barcelona Banca Catalana Limoges CSP Aris
1991 Paris POP 84 FC Barcelona Banca Catalana Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv Scavolini Pesaro
FIBA European League Final Four
1992 Istanbul Partizan Montigalà Joventut Philips Milano Estudiantes Argentaria
1993 Piraeus Limoges CSP Benetton Treviso PAOK Real Madrid Teka
1994 Tel Aviv 7up Joventut Olympiacos Panathinaikos FC Barcelona Banca Catalana
1995 Zaragoza Real Madrid Teka Olympiacos Panathinaikos Limoges CSP
1996 Paris Panathinaikos FC Barcelona Banca Catalana CSKA Moscow Real Madrid Teka
FIBA EuroLeague Final Four
1997 Rome Olympiacos FC Barcelona Banca Catalana Smelt Olimpija ASVEL
1998 Barcelona Kinder Bologna AEK Benetton Treviso Partizan Zepter
1999 Munich Žalgiris Kinder Bologna Olympiacos Teamsystem Bologna
2000 Thessaloniki Panathinaikos Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv Efes Pilsen FC Barcelona
FIBA SuproLeague Final Four*
2001* Paris Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv Panathinaikos Efes Pilsen CSKA Moscow
2001 Euroleague Semifinals*
2001* Bologna &
Vitoria-Gasteiz
& Athens
Virtus Bologna Saski Baskonia AEK Athens Fortitudo Bologna
Euroleague Final Four
2002 Bologna Panathinaikos Kinder Bologna Benetton Treviso Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv
2003 Barcelona FC Barcelona Benetton Treviso Montepaschi Siena CSKA Moscow
2004 Tel Aviv Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv Skipper Bologna CSKA Moscow Montepaschi Siena
2005 Moscow Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv Tau Cerámica Panathinaikos CSKA Moscow
2006 Prague CSKA Moscow Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv Tau Cerámica Winterthur FC Barcelona
2007 Athens Panathinaikos CSKA Moscow Unicaja Tau Cerámica
2008 Madrid CSKA Moscow Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv Montepaschi Siena Tau Cerámica
2009 Berlin Panathinaikos CSKA Moscow Regal FC Barcelona Olympiacos
2010 Paris Regal FC Barcelona Olympiacos CSKA Moscow Partizan
2011 Barcelona Panathinaikos Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv Montepaschi Siena Real Madrid
2012 Istanbul Olympiacos CSKA Moscow FC Barcelona Regal Panathinaikos
2013 London Olympiacos Real Madrid CSKA Moscow FC Barcelona Regal
2014 Milan Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv Real Madrid FC Barcelona CSKA Moscow
2015 Madrid Real Madrid Olympiacos CSKA Moscow Fenerbahçe Ülker
2016 Berlin CSKA Moscow Fenerbahçe Lokomotiv Kuban Laboral Kutxa
EuroLeague Final Four
2017 Istanbul Fenerbahçe Olympiacos CSKA Moscow Real Madrid
2018 Belgrade Real Madrid Fenerbahçe Doğuş Žalgiris CSKA Moscow
2019 Vitoria-Gasteiz CSKA Moscow Anadolu Efes Real Madrid Fenerbahçe Beko
2020 Cologne
Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2021

* The 2000–01 season was a transition year, with the best European teams split into two different major leagues, the SuproLeague 2000–01, held by FIBA, and the Euroleague 2000–01, held by Euroleague Basketball. That season's Euroleague Basketball tournament, the Euroleague 2000–01 season, did not end with a Final Four tournament. Instead, it ended with a 5-game playoff series. The EuroLeague now officially recognizes both the 2001 FIBA SuproLeague Final Four, and the 2001 Euroleague Semifinals, as Final Fours.

Statistics

Performance by club

  • Including original FIBA European Champions Cup and EuroLeague Final Four competitions.
Club 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Total
Panathinaikos 6 1 3 1 11
Maccabi Tel Aviv 4 6 1 1 12
CSKA Moscow 4 3 7 5 19
Real Madrid 4 2 1 4 11
Olympiacos 3 5 1 1 10
Split [lower-alpha 1] 3 3
FC Barcelona 2 4 3 5 14
Virtus Bologna [lower-alpha 2] 2 2 4
Olimpia Milano [lower-alpha 3] 2 1 1 4
Fenerbahçe 1 2 2 5
Joventut Badalona 1 1 2
Partizan 1 1 2 4
Limoges CSP 1 1 1 3
Žalgiris 1 1 2
Treviso [lower-alpha 4] 2 2 4
Baskonia [lower-alpha 5] 2 1 3 6
Efes Pilsen 1 2 3
AEK 1 1 1 3
Fortitudo Bologna [lower-alpha 6] 1 2 3
Slavia VŠ Praha 1 1 2
Mens Sana 1871 [lower-alpha 7] 3 1 4
Olimpija 2 2
Aris 1 2 3
PAOK 1 1
Málaga [lower-alpha 8] 1 1
Lokomotiv Kuban 1 1
Victoria Libertas [lower-alpha 9] 1 1
Estudiantes 1 1
ASVEL 1 1
Total35353535140

Performance by nation

  • Including original FIBA European Champions Cup and EuroLeague Final Four competitions.
Nation (Domestic League) 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Total
Greece (GBL) 9 7 7 5 28
Spain (LEB / ACB) 7 9 6 13 35
Italy (LBA) 4 6 6 4 20
Israel (BSL) 4 6 1 1 12
Russia (RSL / PBL / VTB) 4 3 7 5 19
SFR Yugoslavia (FFBL) /
FR Yugoslavia (YUBA)
4 2 1 7
Turkey (BSL) 1 3 2 2 8
France (Pro A) 1 1 2 4
Lithuania (LKL) 1 1 2
Czechoslovakia (CSBL) 1 1 2
Soviet Union (PBL) 1 1
Slovenia (SKL) 1 1
Serbia (ABA) 1 1
Total35353535140

Opening press conference venues

Year Venue Host city Country
2008Community of Madrid Sports CentreMadrid Spain
2009O2 WorldBerlin Germany
2010Hôtel de VilleParis France
2011Gothic Quarter (City hall)Barcelona Spain
2012Çırağan PalaceIstanbul Turkey
2013London City HallLondon England
2014Piazza del DuomoMilan Italy
2015Cybele PalaceMadrid Spain
2016AlexanderplatzBerlin Germany
2017Çırağan PalaceIstanbul Turkey
2018Kalemegdan FortressBelgrade Serbia
2019Plaza NuevaVitoria-Gasteiz Spain
2020
Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic

EuroLeague Final Four MVPs

SeasonFinal Four MVPClubRef.
1987–88
Bob McAdoo Tracer Milano
1988–89
Dino Rađa Jugoplastika
1989–90
Toni Kukoč Jugoplastika
1990–91
Toni Kukoč (2) POP 84
1991–92
Sasha Danilović Partizan
1992–93
Toni Kukoč (3) Benetton Treviso
1993–94
Žarko Paspalj Olympiacos
1994–95
Arvydas Sabonis Real Madrid Teka
1995–96
Dominique Wilkins Panathinaikos
1996–97
David Rivers Olympiacos
1997–98
Zoran Savić Kinder Bologna
1998–99
Tyus Edney Žalgiris
1999–00
Željko Rebrača Panathinaikos
2000–01*
Manu Ginóbili Kinder Bologna
2000–01*
Ariel McDonald Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv
2001–02
Dejan Bodiroga Panathinaikos
2002–03
Dejan Bodiroga (2) FC Barcelona
2003–04
Anthony Parker Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv
2004–05
Šarūnas Jasikevičius Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv
2005–06
Theo Papaloukas CSKA Moscow
2006–07
Dimitris Diamantidis Panathinaikos
2007–08
Trajan Langdon CSKA Moscow
2008–09
Vassilis Spanoulis Panathinaikos
2009–10
Juan Carlos Navarro Regal FC Barcelona
2010–11
Dimitris Diamantidis (2) Panathinaikos
2011–12
Vassilis Spanoulis (2) Olympiacos
2012–13
Vassilis Spanoulis (3) Olympiacos
2013–14
Tyrese Rice Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv
[3]
2014–15
Andrés Nocioni Real Madrid
[4]
2015–16
Nando de Colo CSKA Moscow
[5]
2016–17
Ekpe Udoh Fenerbahçe
[6]
2017–18
Luka Doncic Real Madrid
[7]
2018–19
Will Clyburn CSKA Moscow
[8]
2019–20
Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic

* The 2000–01 season was a transition year, with the best European teams splitting into two different major leagues: The SuproLeague, held by FIBA, and the EuroLeague, held by Euroleague Basketball. That season's EuroLeague Basketball tournament did not end with a Final Four tournament. Instead, it ended with a 5-game playoff series. So, Manu Ginóbili was named the EuroLeague Finals MVP that season.

EuroLeague All-Final Four Team

EuroLeague Final Four records

See also

Notes

  1. Playing under the name of "Jugoplastika" and "POP 84" due to sponsorship reasons.
  2. Playing under the name of "Kinder Bologna" due to sponsorship reasons.
  3. Playing under the name of "Tracer Milano" and "Philips Milano" due to sponsorship reasons.
  4. Playing under the name of "Benetton Treviso" due to sponsorship reasons.
  5. Playing under the name of "Tau Cerámica" and "Laboral Kutxa" due to sponsorship reasons.
  6. Playing under the name of "Teamsystem Bologna" and "Skipper Bologna" due to sponsorship reasons.
  7. Playing under the name of "Montepaschi Siena" due to sponsorship reasons.
  8. Playing under the name of "Unicaja" due to sponsorship reasons.
  9. Playing under the name of "Scavolini Pesaro" due to sponsorship reasons.

References

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