By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Anadolu Efes was defeated last night by Fenerbahce, subsequently losing all possible chances of making it to the Euroleague playoffs. This elimination marks the first time in which a team coached by Dusan Ivkovic does not make it past the Top 16 stage of the competition in modern (post 2001) day Euroleague.
A two-times European champion on a club level (with Olympiacos in 1997 and 2012), Ivkovic has sat at the bench of a Euroleague team for eight season in the last 15 years. He took over the helm of CSKA Moscow from 2002 to 2005 and then moved to Dynamo Moscow, winning the 2006 Eurocup title, thus gaining entry to the 2007 Euroleague.
The Serbian coach joined Olympiacos in 2010 leading the team to the second Euroleague championship in the club’s history. He then returned to coaching in the top basketball tournament of the continent in 2014 for Anadolu Efes.
Never before had an Ivkovic team been “stuck” in the Top 16. Up until now. Of course, during 2002/2003 and 2003/2004, the format of the competition was rather different and advancing from the Top 16 meant checking a ticket for the Final Four, since the quarterfinal stage was introduced in modern day Euroleague in the 2004/2005 season.
|
Season |
Team |
Euroleague |
|
2002/2003 |
Final Four |
|
|
2003/2004 |
CSKA Moscow |
Final Four |
|
2004/2005 |
CSKA Moscow |
Final Four |
|
2006/2007 |
Dynamo Moscow |
Playoffs |
|
2010/2011 |
Olympiacos Piraeus |
Playoffs |
|
2011/2012 |
Olympiacos Piraeus |
Champion |
|
2014/2015 |
Playoffs |
|
|
2015/2016 |
Top 16 |