By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Better luck and successful efforts on the court were the theme across leaked letters of EuroLeague teams to Santa Claus. However, specific requests are much more intriguing.
Eurohoops managed to intercept those letters to Santa.
In the middle of Round 18 of the 2025-26 Regular Season, on Christmas Eve, we present exclusively some of the most interesting parts of what the 20 clubs asked for and hope to get underneath the Christmas tree.
These findings have neither been confirmed nor denied by the clubs.
Anadolu Efes Istanbul
Recently getting Pablo Laso on the bench was an early present, en route to the real wish of marching back into the postseason picture as soon as possible. A side note to reduce the length of the injury list was attached.
AS Monaco
Higher on the standings compared to Efes, La Roca Team would love to overcome administrative obstacles regarding Cory Joseph and add him to the short rotation of head coach Vassilis Spanoulis. There was obviously more, but it was about the 34-year-old point guard and going from there.
Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade
A turbulent start to the season, countered by extremely rare tranquility, Zvezda could not ask for much more. However, many arguments in a board meeting resulted in submitting a request for a ticket to the Final Four.
Dubai Basketball
Playing in the EuroLeague is a dream come true, but Dubai is seeking so much more before even thinking about Santa Claus. The letter was carefully focused on more dubs without any sign of lacking appreciation for those collected so far.
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan
The initial plan for the 2025-26 journey is long forgotten. Many noted situations made sure of that. Wishing new head coach Peppe Poeta to become the next established longtime boss behind better luck in 2026 stood out from other, more short-term stuff.
FC Barcelona
The reunion with Xavi Pascual was an early gift to loyal fans and topped everything else happening in 2025. Heading to 2026, avoiding well-known past mistakes emerged as the main topic in the Santa letter, since some members of the front office are not entirely sure this is already the case.
FC Bayern Munich
The holiday spirit at the German club persists, despite the emotional separation from Gordon Herbert after a poor string of results. The confidence spread across the team about bouncing back was evident in a specific request about an unlikely perfect run over all home games in the second half of the Regular Season.
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul
After winning everything available in 2025, there is not much left for Fener. Except, of course, celebrating a back-to-back EuroLeague championship, similar to Anadolu Efes in 2021 and 2022. The successful span of the Istanbul rival was not mentioned, but was more or less implied on multiple occasions. The letter also featured a detailed presentation of reasons why Sarunas Jasikevicius should be able to lift another European title next year.
Hapoel IBI Tel Aviv
A ravenous appetite resurfaced despite the overall effort across Hapoel’s approach to avoid appearing greedy. The short and sweet letter was pretty clear, but was also accompanied by a postscript addition on becoming EuroLeague champions in 2026.
Kosner Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz
Contrary to most general managers and other assigned front-office members of other teams, this one lacked a specific request. Qualifying for the EuroLeague Playoffs, finding the next big thing and playing attractive basketball once more, and, in general, finding more ways to disrupt their opponents, and much more. They also displayed patience, underlining that Papa Noel should not rush to get things done.
LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne
The French side simply wants a full roster for Pierric Poupet, without more injuries in 2026. We considered it too early to draw conclusions on other subjects.
Maccabi Rapyd Tel Aviv
The Yellows want the next few months to be the start of better luck on future endeavors, starting with more wins on the court and building a stronger roster.
Olympiacos Piraeus
Widely expected to be more interesting, the Reds settled on one specific wish, leaving the rest for later consideration. And that was to win the EuroLeague championship at the Telekom Center Athens, the home venue of their archrivals, in late May.
Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens
On the opposite side of the Derby of the Eternal Enemies in Greece, the Greens were, more or less, focusing on the same goal: capturing the EuroLeague title. Also wanting to get one over the other was apparent even in these Santa letters by both Olympiacos and Panathinaikos, but no clear winner as usual.
Paris Basketball
The team based in the French capital was visibly trying to express appreciation, but at the same time was determined to quickly move on from recent successful seasons. The whole point was to find the next T.J. Shorts II, if a reunion with the explosive guard is deemed impossible.
Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade
While admitting struggles to proceed without Zeljko Obradovic, Partizan focused on finally getting back on track next year. However, the name of the legendary tactician resurfaced in the PS section, with a brief note on whether anybody could be able to convince him to return.
Real Madrid
Los Blancos leaned on rich history to explain why the team coached by Sergio Scariolo is deserving of a much higher ranking on the EuroLeague standings and eventually a Final Four berth. It was a long letter, but with very few differences from other aforementioned championship contenders.
Valencia Basketball
Keep it coming was the proposed headliner for the Taronges, as noticed in an interpreted draft. The revised version did not have a title, but went in the same area, wishing more wins for the team coached by Pedro Martinez and continuous celebrations in Roig Arena.
Virtus Bologna
Generally optimistic, the Italian side wished 2026 to bring a Playoffs berth, confidently noting that the team has already built a reliable foundation toward an extended continental campaign. A positive and hopeful attitude was crystal clear.
Zalgiris Kaunas
The Christmas Grandfather was eager to hear from the Kaunas outfit, per sources, since it has been a regular in unexpected gift requests. Staying true to tradition, it was not about wins and championships, a packed and noisy home venue, but for the new year to bring brief, uncomfortable sensations for the visiting players before attempting a shot at Zalgirio Arena.