By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
The progress of the Basketball Champions League is undisputed and after experimenting with the Final Eight format, mainly due to the COVID pandemic, the Final Four was back with a vengeance in Bilbao, creating one more memorable event.
This year, the BCL wants to continue to build on the tradition that they have already created. The end goal is to have enough time to promote the event and make it as attractive as possible to basketball fans that may even not have direct links to the competing clubs.
It’s a bold and noble ambition and Bilbao was the first “neutral” site for the Final Four, even if the presence of two Spanish teams, Tenerife and Manresa, made it an ideal destination for fans of both teams.
And this season, the Basketball Champions League has set its eyes on Turkey. This is not a coincidence. One of the biggest brands of the competition is the until recently sleeping giant of Galatasaray.
And when you have a club of this magnitude which also has the highest of ambitions, it’s a no-brainer to try to take full advantage of the potential. And that brings us to the Final Four.
The initial intention of the BCL was to announce the site of the Final Four in December, however, this wasn’t possible yet. And it’s not a secret that Istanbul is a very attractive destination for a number of reasons.
That’s why you shouldn’t be surprised if there’s soon announcement on the issue after traveling to Spain and to Greece, two of the biggest European basketball markets, the BCL finally lands its Final Four to Sinan Erdem Dome.
And even if that’s not the case and the BCL surprises once more, the motto remains “bigger and better” no matter what.