By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
EuroLeague Basketball considers replacing the third-place game of the annual Final Four with the EuroCup Final, Eurohoops has learned in collaboration with ONE.
There hasn’t been a final decision yet on the matter and, as of now, it’s a scenario that is strongly examined by EuroLeague Baskeball.
The third-place game is held between the losing teams of the two semifinal matches and is taking place before the championship game. There are no medals given to the winning team of the third-place match.
Over the years, several EuroLeague players have spoke against the third-place game. Real Madrid veteran Rudy Fernandez characterized it as “bullsh–t game” in 2019 while his teammate Trey Thompkins said he’s “not a fan” of it. Their comments arrived after Fenerbahce guard Erick Green suffered an injury in the last minutes of that match.
After the 2019 Final Four, ELPA (EuroLeague Players Association) Managing Director Bostjan Nachbar commented that the necessity of the third-place game will be addressed by the organization.
The 2022 Final Four will be held in Berlin, Germany.