By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The decision of the Spanish Basketball Federation on the new head coach of the senior national team is in, sending Chus Mateo to the position of the selector of La Familia.
FEB also shortlisted Pablo Laso, among other candidates, before announcing the 56-year-old native of Madrid as the new boss on Monday.
The successor of Sergio Scariolo is taking over for the next four years, until EuroBasket 2029, featuring Spain as the main host, specifically of one out of four preliminary groups and the knockout stage of the tournament. Earlier challenges launch his assignment in the upcoming FIBA World Cup 2027 Qualifiers, connected to an opportunity to reach the final stage and from there clinch a berth in the Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games.
In the recent EuroBasket 2025, Scariolo ended a history-making tenure with a first-round exit after a 2-3 run in Limassol’s Group C and 17th place in the final standings. Serving as the selector between 2009 and 2012 and since 2015, he won Olympic silver and bronze medals in 2012 and 2016, gold in the World Cup 2019, and four gold and one bronze EuroBasket medals.
Mateo has been coaching since 1991 with a job at Real Madrid. His career included a spell as an assistant at the U16 national team of Spain between 1993 and 1997. In 2014, he returned to Madrid as an assistant under Laso and eventually replaced the Vitoria-Gasteiz native in 2022. He was relieved from his duties following the 2024-25 season, after capturing the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague title in 2023 and the Alexander Gomelsky EuroLeague Coach of the Year award for the 2023-24 season, apart from also winning two ACB championships, plus one Copa del Rey and two Supercopa Endesa titles.