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.

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

Names of the Final Four

*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. With Virtus being the winner of the Finals.

History

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.

EuroLeague Final Fours

By season

Year Host City Champion Runner-up Third place Fourth place
FIBA European Champions Cup Final Four era (1965–66 and 1966–67 seasons)
1966 Bologna Italy Simmenthal Milano Czechoslovakia Slavia VŠ Praha Soviet Union CSKA Moscow Greece AEK
1967 Madrid Spain Real Madrid Italy Simmenthal Milano Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia AŠK Olimpija Czechoslovakia Slavia VŠ Praha
Modern FIBA European Champions Cup & EuroLeague Final Four era (1987–88 season – present)
1988 Ghent Italy Tracer Milano Israel Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Partizan Greece Aris
1989 Munich Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Jugoplastika Israel Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv Greece Aris Spain FC Barcelona
1990 Zaragoza Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Jugoplastika Spain FC Barcelona France Limoges Greece Aris
1991 Paris Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Pop 84 Spain FC Barcelona Israel Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv Italy Scavolini Pesaro
1992 Istanbul Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Partizan Spain Montigalà Joventut Italy Philips Milano Spain Estudiantes Caja Postal
1993 Piraeus France Limoges Italy Benetton Treviso Greece PAOK Spain Real Madrid
1994 Tel Aviv Spain 7up Joventut Greece Olympiacos Greece Panathinaikos Spain FC Barcelona
1995 Zaragoza Spain Real Madrid Greece Olympiacos Greece Panathinaikos France Limoges
1996 Paris Greece Panathinaikos Spain FC Barcelona Russia CSKA Moscow Spain Real Madrid
1997 Rome Greece Olympiacos Spain FC Barcelona Slovenia Smelt Olimpija France ASVEL
1998 Barcelona Italy Kinder Bologna Greece AEK Italy Benetton Treviso Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Partizan
1999 Munich Lithuania Žalgiris Italy Kinder Bologna Greece Olympiacos Italy Teamsystem Bologna
2000 Thessaloniki Greece Panathinaikos Israel Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv Turkey Efes Pilsen Spain FC Barcelona
2001 Paris Israel Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv Greece Panathinaikos Turkey Efes Pilsen Russia CSKA Moscow
2002 Bologna Greece Panathinaikos Italy Kinder Bologna Italy Benetton Treviso Israel Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv
2003 Barcelona Spain FC Barcelona Italy Benetton Treviso Italy Montepaschi Siena Russia CSKA Moscow
2004 Tel Aviv Israel Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv Italy Skipper Bologna Russia CSKA Moscow Italy Montepaschi Siena
2005 Moscow Israel Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv Spain Tau Cerámica Greece Panathinaikos Russia CSKA Moscow
2006 Prague Russia CSKA Moscow Israel Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv Spain Tau Cerámica Spain Winterthur FC Barcelona
2007 Athens Greece Panathinaikos Russia CSKA Moscow Spain Unicaja Spain Tau Cerámica
2008 Madrid Russia CSKA Moscow Israel Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv Italy Montepaschi Siena Spain Tau Cerámica
2009 Berlin Greece Panathinaikos Russia CSKA Moscow Spain Regal FC Barcelona Greece Olympiacos
2010 Paris Spain Regal FC Barcelona Greece Olympiacos Russia CSKA Moscow Serbia Partizan
2011 Barcelona Greece Panathinaikos Israel Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv Italy Montepaschi Siena Spain Real Madrid
2012 Istanbul Greece Olympiacos Russia CSKA Moscow Spain FC Barcelona Regal Greece Panathinaikos
2013 London Greece Olympiacos Spain Real Madrid Russia CSKA Moscow Spain FC Barcelona Regal
2014 Milan Israel Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv Spain Real Madrid Spain FC Barcelona Russia CSKA Moscow
2015 Madrid Spain Real Madrid Greece Olympiacos Russia CSKA Moscow Turkey Fenerbahçe Ülker
2016 Berlin Russia CSKA Moscow Turkey Fenerbahçe Russia Lokomotiv-Kuban Spain Laboral Kutxa
2017 Istanbul Turkey Fenerbahçe Greece Olympiacos Russia CSKA Moscow Spain Real Madrid
2018 Belgrade

† 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.

Performance by club (Original FIBA Champions Cup and EuroLeague Final Four competitions)

Club 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Total
Greece Panathinaikos 6 1 3 1 11
Israel Maccabi Tel Aviv 4 6 1 1 12
Greece Olympiacos 3 5 1 1 10
Russia CSKA Moscow 3 3 7 4 17
Spain Real Madrid 3 2 4 9
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Split [lower-alpha 1] 3 3
Spain FC Barcelona 2 4 3 5 14
Italy Olimpia Milano [lower-alpha 2] 2 1 1 4
Italy Virtus Bologna [lower-alpha 3] 1 2 3
Turkey Fenerbahçe 1 1 1 3
Spain Joventut Badalona 1 1 2
Serbia Partizan 1 1 2 4
France Limoges 1 1 1 3
Lithuania Žalgiris 1 1
Italy Treviso [lower-alpha 4] 2 2 4
Spain Baskonia [lower-alpha 5] 1 1 3 5
Czechoslovakia Slavia VŠ Praha 1 1 2
Greece AEK 1 1 2
Italy Fortitudo Bologna [lower-alpha 6] 1 1 2
Italy Mens Sana 1871 [lower-alpha 7] 3 1 4
Slovenia Olimpija 2 2
Turkey Efes Pilsen 2 2
Greece Aris 1 2 3
Greece PAOK 1 1
Spain Málaga [lower-alpha 8] 1 1
Russia Lokomotiv-Kuban 1 1
Italy Victoria Libertas [lower-alpha 9] 1 1
Spain Estudiantes 1 1
France ASVEL 1 1

Performance by nation (Original FIBA Champions Cup and EuroLeague Final Four competitions)

Nation 1st 2nd 3rd 4th Total
Greece Greece 9 7 6 5 27
Spain Spain 6 8 5 13 32
Israel Israel 4 6 1 1 12
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Yugoslavia 4 2 1 7
Italy Italy 3 6 6 3 18
Russia Russia 3 3 7 4 17
Turkey Turkey 1 1 2 1 5
France France 1 1 2 4
Lithuania Lithuania 1 1
Czechoslovakia Czechoslovakia 1 1 2
Soviet Union Soviet Union 1 1
Slovenia Slovenia 1 1
Serbia Serbia 1 1

Opening press conference venues

Year Place
2008 Madrid Community of Madrid Sports Centre, Madrid, Spain Spain
2009 Berlin O2 World, Berlin, Germany Germany
2010 Paris Hôtel de Ville, Paris, France France
2011 Barcelona Gothic Quarter (City hall), Barcelona, Spain Spain
2012 Istanbul Çırağan Palace, Istanbul, Turkey Turkey
2013 London London City Hall, London, England England
2014 Milan Piazza del Duomo, Milan, Italy Italy
2015 Madrid Real Casa de Correos, Madrid, Spain Spain
2016 Berlin Alexanderplatz, Berlin, Germany Germany

EuroLeague Final Four MVPs

Season Final Four MVP Club Ref.
1987–88
United States Bob McAdoo Italy Tracer Milano
1988–89
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Dino Rađja Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Jugoplastika
1989–90
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Toni Kukoč Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Jugoplastika
1990–91
Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Toni Kukoč (2×) Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Pop 84
1991–92
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Sašha Danilović Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Partizan
1992–93
Croatia Toni Kukoč (3×) Italy Benetton Treviso
1993–94
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Žarko Paspalj Greece Olympiacos
1994–95
Lithuania Arvydas Sabonis Spain Real Madrid
1995–96
United States Dominique Wilkins Greece Panathinaikos
1996–97
United States David Rivers Greece Olympiacos
1997–98
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Zoran Savić Italy Kinder Bologna
1998–99
United States Tyus Edney Lithuania Žalgiris
1999–00
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Željko Rebrača Greece Panathinaikos
2000–01
United States Slovenia Ariel McDonald Israel Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv
2000–01
Argentina Manu Ginóbili Italy Kinder Bologna
2001–02
Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Dejan Bodiroga Greece Panathinaikos
2002–03
Serbia and Montenegro Dejan Bodiroga (2×) Spain FC Barcelona
2003–04
United States Anthony Parker Israel Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv
2004–05
Lithuania Šarūnas Jasikevičius Israel Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv
2005–06
Greece Theo Papaloukas Russia CSKA Moscow
2006–07
Greece Dimitris Diamantidis Greece Panathinaikos
2007–08
United States Trajan Langdon Russia CSKA Moscow
2008–09
Greece Vassilis Spanoulis Greece Panathinaikos
2009–10
Spain Juan Carlos Navarro Spain Regal FC Barcelona
2010–11
Greece Dimitris Diamantidis (2×) Greece Panathinaikos
2011–12
Greece Vassilis Spanoulis (2×) Greece Olympiacos
2012–13
Greece Vassilis Spanoulis (3×) Greece Olympiacos
2013–14
United States Montenegro Tyrese Rice Israel Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv
[3]
2014–15
Argentina Andrés Nocioni Spain Real Madrid
[4]
2015–16
France Nando de Colo Russia CSKA Moscow
[5]
2016–17
United States Ekpe Udoh Turkey Fenerbahçe
[6]

† 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 "Tracer Milano" and "Philips Milano" due to sponsorship reasons.
  3. Playing under the name of "Kinder Bologna" 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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