By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
ATHENS — Chus Bueno, chief executive officer of Euroleague Basketball, and Dejan Bodiroga, Euroleague Basketball president, held an official press conference on Saturday, just one day before the championship game of the 2026 EuroLeague Final Four Athens, presented by Etihad, between Olympiacos and Real Madrid at Telekom Center Athens.
From the top, the executives addressed the organizational complications that overshadowed Friday’s semifinal matchups, confirming that hundreds of spectators were left stranded outside the venue, but denying any unauthorized entries to the venue.
“We apologize for the problem with the tickets and for the frustration we caused, especially to the Fenerbahce fans, in total this incident affected 187 persons who managed to enter the arena in the end. Increased security for the final, we hope to provide the best experience,” noted 56-year-old Bueno, commenting on the ticket collapse.
Despite a complicated situation outside the gates, the CEO clarified the stadium’s security integrity. “Nobody got into the arena without tickets,” added Bueno.
Echoing the apology, 53-year-old Bodiroga detailed the source of the logistical failure.
“There was this situation that came from our ticketing platform. We tried to put all Fenerbahce fans in the arena, and in the end, we solved it. We couldn’t do things as we usually do, and we apologize to the fans and the club,” he mentioned.
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