By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Since 2016-17 and the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague switching from regular-season groups to a home-and-away round-robin format, eight teams went off to 5-0 start, including Fenerbahce Beko in the ongoing 2022-23 Regular Season.
New-look Fener introduced itself by defeating FC Bayern Munich on the road. Home wins against Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, and Valencia formed the 4-0 start. The fifth win was registered against cross-town rival Anadolu Efes Friday evening. As the last undefeated team of the season, it separated itself from the rest of the pack.
A pleasant sight for Fenerbahce, setting the early pace in the 34-game marathon. Plenty of action left in the Regular Season and a demanding best-of-five Playoff series, even if successful the rest of the way. Over the years, such hot starts have not guaranteed a Final Four berth.
| Season | Team | Regular Season | Final Four |
| 2016-17 | CSKA | 2nd | 3rd |
| 2018-19 | Real Madrid | 3rd | 3rd |
| 2018-19 | CSKA | 2nd | 1st |
| 2019-20 | FC Barcelona | – | – |
| 2020-21 | Zenit | 8th | OUT |
| 2021-22 | AX Armani Exchange Milan | 3rd | OUT |
| 2021-22 | FC Barcelona | 1st | 3rd |
Coached by current Fener play-caller Dimitris Itoudis, only CSKA went from five straight wins at the top of the Regular Season to becoming the EuroLeague champion. That was the case in the 2018-19 season. The Moscow outfit in 2016-17, Real Madrid in 2018-19, and FC Barcelona last season were the remaining 5-0 teams reaching the Final Four.
Zenit in 2020-21 and AX Armani Exchange Milan in 2021-22 started hot but did not make it past the Playoffs. They were eliminated by Barca and Efes, respectively.
The 2019-20 season, eventually abandoned due to the coronavirus pandemic, featured Barcelona unbeaten after five rounds.
Photo Credit: EuroleagueBasketball.net
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