Pillars of the Final Four

By Stelios Toromanidis / info@eurohoops.net

CSKA Moscow, Fenerbahce Istanbul, Olympiacos Piraeus and Real Madrid are preparing for their final battles of the season. After a tricky and demanding roller coaster ride, which marked the start of a new EuroLeague era with a new format, it’s time to see who will claim the trophy. With the spotlight on Istanbul’s Sinan Erden Arena, let’s take a look at the history of the top club basketball event in Europe, starting from when the Final Four was introduced in 1988 and following its growth into a scene of miracles.

Spain leads in participations, Greece in trophies

The first four-team duel was held in Ghent, Belgium in April 1988 and ended with Olimpia Milano – then called Tracer – as the champion, while the other three teams that completed for the title were Maccabi Tel Aviv, Partizan Belgrade and Aris BC.

Of the 11 countries that have been represented at a Final Four, Spain has the lion’s share with Real Madrid making the 31st appearance for a Spanish club in Istanbul. Both Spain and Italy have each sent each six different teams to the Final Four, though the Spaniards dominate recent history. In fact, from 2005 onwards, at least one team from Spain has been to the Final Four every season, which is a run of 13 consecutive years. The second such streak belongs to Greece, which had at least one club at each Final Four for a decade straight (1993-2002).

Greece has won nine trophies in 25 appearances by five representatives, with a success rate of 36%. Considering the fact that Panathinaikos and Olympiacos have appeared together at a Final Four on five occasions, that means that a Greek club has won the title in 45% of the 20 Final Fours they have been to. Croatia and Lithuania enjoy an amazing 100% success rate, but have only been to three (in a row by Jugoplastika Split) and one (Zalgiris Kaunas in 1999), respectively.

Euroleague Final Four: Trophies and participation by Country (1988-2016)

CSKA Moscow is synonymous with the Final Four, having made 17 appearances in total. This year’s event marks the 14th Final Four for CSKA in the last 15 seasons. That’s unbelievable consistency from a team that previously dominated Europe in the 1960s and ’70s. However, CSKA’ s effectiveness is low as it has won just three titles in 13 Final Fours. On the other hand, Panathinaikos is the most successful team with six titles in 11 appearances, a number that translates to a 54.5% success rate!

Euroleague Final Four: Participations and trophies by  Basketball Clubs