Announcement: Fenerbahçe to Face Olympiacos in EuroLeague Final Four
Turkish Fenerbahçe advanced to the basketball EuroLeague Final Four after defeating Žalgiris in overtime 94-90. In the semifinals, the team will face Greek Olympiacos, while the other pair features Real Madrid and Panathinaikos.
Main Event
Defending EuroLeague champion Istanbul's Fenerbahçe broke Kaunas Žalgiris's resistance in overtime to reach the Final Four of Europe's most prestigious club tournament. The fourth game of the quarterfinal series, held on May 8 at a packed Žalgiris Arena in Kaunas, ended with a 94-90 victory for the visitors and a 3-1 series win.
The hero of the evening was Fenerbahçe center Khem Birch, who played the best game of his career. The Canadian big man scored 21 points (8-of-10 from the field), grabbed 13 rebounds, and posted a PIR of 31 — a personal record in EuroLeague. His dominance in the paint prevented Žalgiris, which led for most of the final quarter, from forcing a Game 5 in Istanbul.
Fenerbahçe head coach Šarūnas Jasikevičius — a Lithuanian basketball legend returning to Kaunas as an opponent — did not hide his relief after the final buzzer. He admitted that his team failed to completely demoralize the opponent and praised Žalgiris's incredible fighting spirit, as they kept coming back despite large deficits.
Details and Statistics
The game was decided in a dramatic end to regulation and in overtime. With 5.3 seconds left in the fourth quarter, Žalgiris point guard Sylvain Francisco (23 points, 11 assists) made two free throws to put the hosts ahead 80-78. It seemed Lithuania would see a fifth game. However, Wade Baldwin grabbed the ball and, with 1.6 seconds on the clock, drove through three defenders to tie the game at 80-80.
In the extra five minutes, the visitors were flawless. After an opening dunk by Moses Wright, Fenerbahçe responded with an 8-0 run, capped by a three-pointer from 35-year-old Nicolò Melli. Lithuanian forward Azuolas Tubelis kept fighting, but his 16 points and 5 rebounds could not turn the tide of overtime.
Besides Birch, significant contributions came from Tarik Biberović (21 points, 6 rebounds). Baldwin, in addition to his game-saving drive, recorded 14 points, while Tarik Biberović added 11. For the losing side, besides Francisco and Tubelis, Edgaras Ulanovas stood out with 15 points, and Dustin Sleva scored 11.
The statistical context of the series is even more impressive. Since the introduction of the best-of-five format in EuroLeague quarterfinals, Žalgiris has never advanced to the Final Four in three attempts — each time losing to Fenerbahçe (in 2018, 2019, and now 2026). For Jasikevičius, this will be his sixth consecutive Final Four as a head coach — a record.
Context and Significance
For Fenerbahçe, reaching the second straight Final Four confirms their status as a club superpower. Last season, the team won the title, and now they are going for a second consecutive trophy. However, in the semifinals, they face an opponent of a completely different caliber than Žalgiris — Olympiacos.
The Greek powerhouse finished the regular season in first place and swept Monaco 3-0 in the quarterfinals. According to Clutch Data's mathematical model, Olympiacos has the highest Simple Rating System (+7.3) among all league teams, and analysts have called the Greeks "the most underrated team in the tournament" by the numbers. Their semifinal against the defending champion is an unofficial final before the final.
On the other side of the bracket, Real Madrid will face the winner of the Spanish showdown. Valencia and Panathinaikos have pushed their series to a fifth game — the Spanish side evened the series at 2-2 after an 89-86 road win in Athens. The decisive game will be played in Valencia next week.
What's Next / Announcement
The 2025/26 EuroLeague Final Four will take place on May 22-24, 2026, in Athens at the Telekom Center. The semifinal between Olympiacos and Fenerbahçe will be held on May 22, starting at 18:00 CET (19:00 Moscow time). In Turkey, the broadcast will be provided by S Sport.
All tickets for the Final Four were completely sold out back in April, with the final fourth sales phase ending in an instant sellout. The excitement around the tournament is enormous — Athens has not hosted the Final Four since 2007, and the return of Europe's premier basketball event to the Greek capital has generated unprecedented demand.
For Jasikevičius, the upcoming semifinal is not just a battle to reach the final. The Lithuanian specialist, who has led his teams to the Final Four six times in a row, is on the verge of a historic achievement: a second consecutive tournament win would make him one of the greatest coaches in EuroLeague history. But to do so, he must overcome the team that analysts consider the strongest in Europe by the numbers. On May 22, Athens will witness basketball of the highest level.
— Editorial Team
