Fenerbahçe Beko returns to the EuroLeague Final Four stage with a fierce mission: to dethrone Greece’s Panathinaikos in a high-stakes semifinal clash on Friday.
Turkish time in the UAE capital, Abu Dhabi. With a championship dream on the line, the yellow-navy squad is out to rewrite recent history and stake its claim among Europe's elite once more.
This marks the 34th EuroLeague encounter between the two powerhouse clubs.
In their previous 33 matchups, Panathinaikos holds a narrow edge with 18 wins to Fenerbahçe’s 15.
The Greek side swept their regular-season meetings this year, narrowly edging Fenerbahçe 81-76 in Istanbul and 91-90 in Athens.
Their latest chapter unfolds under the Final Four spotlight for the second consecutive season – a rematch loaded with revenge and redemption.
Fenerbahçe, led by Lithuanian tactician Sarunas Jasikevicius, enters the Final Four after a dominant playoff sweep over France’s Paris Basketball.
The Turkish giants finished the regular season second with a 23-11 record and made quick work of Paris with wins of 83-78, 89-72 and 98-88 to book their Abu Dhabi ticket.
Meanwhile, Panathinaikos, under the fiery leadership of Turkish coach Ergin Ataman, endured a grueling five-game series against Anadolu Efes.
With a 22-12 regular-season finish, the Greek side clawed past Efes, clinching the decider 75-67 to reach the last four.
Jasikevicius and Ataman face off for the 17th time in EuroLeague history. Ataman has historically dominated the coaching rivalry, holding an 11-5 advantage across their meetings with clubs like Anadolu Efes, Panathinaikos, Zalgiris and Barcelona.
Their tactical duel has already graced two Final Four matchups, including a final, and now adds another chapter to a growing continental saga.
On the stats sheet, Panathinaikos boasts the league’s more explosive offense, averaging 87.3 points, 35.1 rebounds and 19.2 assists per game. Fenerbahçe isn’t far behind, with 83.8 points, 35.6 rebounds and 17.3 assists.
The scoring battle will likely spotlight two stars: Nigel Hayes-Davis leads Fenerbahçe with 16.8 points per game, while Kendrick Nunn powers Panathinaikos with a league-best 20.4. Both were named to the All-EuroLeague First Team and top their teams in efficiency ratings.
Much of the pre-game buzz centers on Ergin Ataman, a coach chasing history.
Already a three-time EuroLeague champion – twice with Anadolu Efes in 2021 and 2022, and once with Panathinaikos earlier this season – Ataman seeks a record-breaking fourth title.
If victorious, he would become the first coach ever to win back-to-back EuroLeague championships with different teams. No one has done it since the competition began in 1958.
Ataman’s legacy is already immense.
Across 27 years, he’s collected 27 championships, including six European titles.
From Montepaschi Siena’s Saporta Cup in 2002 to Beşiktaş, Galatasaray, Anadolu Efes and now Panathinaikos, he’s claimed silverware at every stop.
His coaching journey has taken him to seven European finals with five different clubs – winning six of them.
Only in 2019, when Anadolu Efes fell to CSKA Moscow, did he taste defeat on Europe’s biggest stage.
Now, he stands on the verge of joining coaching royalty.
If Panathinaikos lifts the trophy, Ataman will tie legends like Ettore Messina and Bozidar Maljkovic with four EuroLeague crowns and become one of the top six most decorated coaches in competition history.
At the very top sits Zeljko Obradovic with nine – a distant summit, but not unreachable for a coach like Ataman, who continues to defy expectations.
