By Eurohoops / info@eurohoops.net
Chus Mateo, the Spanish national team coach, and Álex Mumbrú, the German coach and reigning European champions, closely followed the thrilling BCL Final Four in Badalona, witnessing Rytas’ historic comeback that provided the perfect ending to an unforgettable tenth edition of the Basketball Champions League, which has established itself as a continental benchmark.
The two coaches sat together courtside in the legendary Olympic Pavilion during the semifinal, joining other colleagues such as Xavi Pascual, Zoran Lukic, and the legendary Panagiotis Giannakis. Both coaches agreed on the success of a competition that continues to grow and serves as an ideal international platform for national teams.
“The BCL started 10 years ago as a trial run, so to speak, and it’s now firmly established with a solid foundation. Everyone values the competition more and more, and everyone wants to win it,” noted Chus Mateo. “I think it’s a competition that has established itself as a continental benchmark, demonstrating its ambition to grow and improve every year in multiple aspects,” Mumbrú affirmed. “It’s been 10 years of the Basketball Champions League, and it gets better every year. The BCL continues to raise its level each year, as demonstrated by the caliber of the teams participating in the Final Four,” the German coach emphasized.
Both enjoyed the event with the mission of taking note of potential players for the upcoming crucial FIBA World Cup Qualifiers in July and August, which will be vital for qualifying for the 2027 World Cup. “It’s a shame that Joventut didn’t qualify in the end, but I came here to see the Spanish players and Spanish teams, who have a strong grasp of the competition,” Mateo commented. “I was already at the Athens edition last year because several German players were candidates for the national team, and this year Kay Bruhnke and Simonas Lukosius are playing for Rytas. In addition, ALBA, Wurzburg, and Heidenberg have also participated during the season. Germany, after Spain, is the country that has had the most representatives in the Final Four, along with Greece,” Mumbrú pointed out.
Both agree on the excellent platform the BCL has been and continues to be for aspiring to play for the national team, as the Spanish coach points out: “I adore basketball, I love basketball, it’s my passion without a doubt, but now I’m here as the Spanish national team coach trying to see the Spanish players who are competing. Tenerife has quite a few, and Unicaja has some too, so, well, what I really do is try to make sure things go well for them, to keep an eye on them and make sure they see that their coach is also on their side and trying to support them. The BCL has often provided the Spanish national team with players, especially during the FIBA World Cup Qualifiers, from Tenerife, Unicaja, and Burgos, without a doubt, and hopefully, hopefully we will continue to have Spanish representatives throughout the years and in future competitions. I think we have a good generation of players coming up, and hopefully we can bring them together in the best way possible to always compete at the highest level, as is expected of the Spanish national team.”