By Nikola Miloradović / info@eurohoops.net
Fenerbahce entered the 2025/26 season carrying the unique pressure that comes with the glory of being the defending champions.
The Istanbul powerhouse was coming off a historic campaign, having conquered Europe while also lifting the Turkish League and Turkish Cup trophies to complete a memorable triple crown. After reaching the summit of European basketball, Fenerbahce suddenly became the team everyone wanted to beat.
And history shows just how difficult it is to stay there.
Since the beginning of the modern EuroLeague era in 2000, only a handful of clubs have managed to defend the title. Maccabi Tel Aviv repeated in 2004 and 2005, Olympiacos followed in 2012 and 2013, while Anadolu Efes became the most recent back-to-back champion after winning in 2021 and 2022.
That alone explains the size of the challenge facing Sarunas Jasikevicius and his players.
Especially because this version of Fenerbahce looked very different from the one that lifted the trophy a year ago.
Nigel Hayes-Davis, the Final Four MVP and one of the symbols of last season’s title run, left the club alongside Marko Guduric, one of Fenerbahce’s leaders and most reliable offensive creators during the championship campaign. Dyshawn Pierre also departed after years of experience and versatility, while veteran guard Erick McCollum — whose mid-season arrival played an important role during last year’s run — was no longer part of the roster.
Replacing that kind of leadership, chemistry and championship experience is never simple.
Fenerbahce responded by reshaping the roster with a different profile.
Talen Horton-Tucker arrived from the NBA and quickly became one of the biggest stories of the season. The American guard brought physicality, shot creation and scoring punch, finishing the EuroLeague campaign as the team’s leading scorer with 15.7 points per game.
There were questions early in the season about how quickly he would adapt to European basketball, but Horton-Tucker gradually developed into one of the main offensive engines of the team.
Mikael Jantunen quietly became another important addition. His numbers do not jump off the page, but his defensive versatility, energy and willingness to take difficult assignments helped Fenerbahce maintain balance on both ends of the floor.
One of Fenerbahce’s most important additions arrived in the middle of the season: Nando De Colo.
Even at closing stage of his career, the French veteran immediately gave Fenerbahce composure, experience and another reliable creator in high-pressure moments. His impact resembled the role Erick McCollum had during last season’s title run: a calming presence capable of stabilizing the offense when games become tense.
Still, this team did not rely only on newcomers.
Wade Baldwin IV remained one of the emotional leaders of the backcourt, averaging 14.1 points and 5.5 assists. Tarik Biberovic continued his rise into one of Europe’s most dangerous shooters, connecting on 41.8% of his three-point attempts while averaging 11.2 points per game.
Nicolo Melli once again served as the defensive anchor of the team. The veteran Italian forward narrowly missed out on major individual defensive recognition, but his impact went far beyond statistics. His positioning, communication and versatility remained central to Fenerbahce’s identity.
And early in the season, Fenerbahce often looked like a team still searching for its identity.
The defending champions opened the EuroLeague campaign with back-to-back losses against Paris Basketball and Zalgiris before suffering heavy defeats against Crvena zvezda, Dubai and Real Madrid during the opening months of the season. There were flashes of brilliance, but consistency was missing.
Gradually, however, Jasikevicius managed to stabilize the group.
Victories over Anadolu Efes, Barcelona, Olympiacos, Monaco and Bayern showed the team’s ceiling, while Fenerbahce closed the regular season near the top of the standings despite dealing with roster changes and constant adjustments throughout the year.
The playoff series against Zalgiris perfectly summarized Fenerbahce’s season.
After taking control with two home wins in Istanbul, the Turkish side suddenly found itself under pressure after losing Game 3 in Kaunas. But just when momentum appeared to be shifting, Fenerbahce responded with a road victory in Game 4 to secure another Final Four appearance.
Now, an even bigger challenge awaits in Athens.
Fenerbahce opens the Final Four against Olympiacos, a club that has now reached five consecutive Final Fours but failed to lift the trophy in each of the previous four appearances. After finishing first in the regular season, Olympiacos will try to finally complete the job in front of what is expected to be significant support from the stands in Athens.
That alone makes the semifinal feel like a final before the final.
On the other side of the bracket stands Valencia, arguably the biggest surprise of the season after stunning Panathinaikos by coming back from 0-2 in the playoff series and preventing them from reaching the Final Four in its own OAKA Arena. Waiting for them is Real Madrid, the most decorated club in European basketball history, back at the Final Four after missing out last season and determined to add another trophy to its already legendary collection.
All of that only underlines how difficult Fenerbahce’s path to a repeat truly is.
And that is exactly why repeating remains so rare in the EuroLeague.
Every season brings roster changes, injuries, tactical adjustments and new contenders. Staying at the top requires not only talent, but also the ability to constantly reinvent a winning formula.
Fenerbahce already proved last season that it could reach the summit of European basketball.
Now comes one of the toughest challenges in EuroLeague basketball: staying there.