On this occasion, Eurohoops looks back at the most crucial moments for the Blaugrana in the competition, while at the same time presenting some important statistical facts about them.
There are four teams that have had an uninterrupted presence in the EuroLeague, since it changed its format, opting not to be under the supervision of FIBA. Barcelona is one of them (Baskonia, Zalgiris and Olympiacos are the other three), this is their 18th season in the competition and they are, in fact, the first team to reach 400 games.
The Catalans, aside from being first in appearances, have, together with Olympiacos, the record in appearances in quarterfinal stages. Since the 2004-05 season, when the organizing authority introduced the playoff series, at first as ‘Best of 3’ and then as ‘Best of 5’ series, Barca and the Red-and-Whites count eleven out of twelve appearances.
The Blaugrana have been present in 41,2% (7/17) of the Final Fours that have taken place since 2000, winning the trophy two times. It’s worth mentioning that, together with Maccabi Tel Aviv, Barcelona are in second place on the list of the most appearances in the Final Four, behind CSKA Moscow’s 14.
Concerning the Catalans’ overall record in the top club competition in Europe since 2000, they have 275 wins and 124 losses. In other words, they have prevailed in 68,9% of games, a percentage that places them in second place among the teams that have more than 200 wins in the competition. The Army Team is at the top with 77,6%.
Barcelona’s detailed statistics in the modern era of the EuroLeague
Appearances in the EuroLeague
18
Total games in the EuroLeague
399
Record (W-L)
275-124
Percentage (%)
68,9%
Appearances in quarterfinals
11
Qualifications
6
Total games in quarterfinals
42
Record (W-L)
23-19
Percentage
54,8%
Appearances in Final Fours
7
Titles
2
Total games in Final Fours
14
Record (W-L)
7-7
Percentage
50%
After presenting the numbers that identify the course of one of the traditional powers in the EuroLeague, let’s take a look at five key moments in Barcelona’s 18 seasons in the competition that should remain indelible in the minds of their fans, either as pleasant or unpleasant reminiscences.
After losing five finals in the Old Continent’s top club competition, it was Barcelona’s time to be crowned European champions. The coronation was to happen in front of their own fans, as the Final Four of 2003 took place in Barcelona.
Coach Svetislav Pesic’s team, led by Bodiroga, Navarro, Fucka and Jasikevicius, prevailed over Dusan Ivkovic’s Muscovites and then over Ettore Messina’s Italians at the appointment of that season’s top teams.
The amazing Dejan Bodiroga received the MVP award for the second season in a row and, in fact, with a different team (he had played for Panathinaikos in the previous season).
MVP: Juan Carlos Navarro (15,5 points, 3 assists, 3 rebounds)
Seven years after their first title, Barca repeated the triumph, this time away from their hometown. Two Final Fours had come and gone in which the Catalans weren’t even able to qualify for the final (2006, 2009).
Juan Carlos Navarro, more mature and with a one-year experience in the NBA (2007-08) under his belt, led his team to the top. Ricky Rubio, Erazem Lorbek and Pete Mickael were his worthy wingmen and the most important pieces in coach Xavi Pascual’s puzzle. Both CSKA and Olympiacos capitulated to the Blaugrana, who were excellent that season.
MVP: Juan Carlos Navarro (15 points, 2 assists, 1,3 rebounds)
Before they could reach the Final Four in Paris, Barcelona first had to overcome the obstacle of Real Madrid. The Blaugrana started out the quarterfinal series as the big favorites, something that the Whites questioned with their break in the second game.
This wake-up call for Navarro’s gang was the springboard for the two breaks that followed in Madrid, in what was an impressive series, in accordance with the history of the two teams. In fact, this is perhaps the favorite series of Barcelona fans, since it was a qualification against their “hated” rivals, Real.
The European champions, Barcelona wanted to hold on to their reign, while the fact that the Final Four was taking place in Barcelona’s Palau Sant Jordi was an extra motivation.
Throughout the season, Xavi Pascual’s team looked like the undisputed favorites for the trophy. But Zeljko Obradovic and the players of Panathinaikos had… something to say about that, as they managed to put a stop to the Catalans’ effort to protect their spoils.
This is one of the best quarterfinal series in the history of the EuroLeague, one where Dimitris Diamantidis’s star shined bright once again as he was the MVP of the series, leading his team to three wins in a row, one of which was a break.
