Fenerbahçe Beko made history and won the Euroleague of basketball after defeating AS Monaco in an exciting final last night in Abu Dhabi, in a very close match that the Monegasques initially dominated but which was ultimately decided in the last quarter, when the Turkish team gave their all to pull away from their rivals and secure victory.
The Istanbul club won the final played at the Etihad Arena with a final score of 70-81, thus becoming European basketball champion for the second time in its history, eight years after becoming the first Turkish team to win the Turkish Airlines Euroleague in 2017, on that occasion beating Greek side Olympiacos 80-64 in a thrilling final played in Istanbul.
American forward Nigel Hayes-Davis led Fenerbahçe with 23 points and nine rebounds, while Serbian guard Marko Gudurić added 19 points and Devon Hall and Wade Baldwin scored 13 each. For Monaco, Alpha Diallo was the top scorer with 19 points, while Mike James added 17, Matthew Strazel 13 and Daniel Theis 12 in total.
‘This is the moment I’ve been waiting for my entire career, the one I’ve worked for… It’s hard to talk right now, but I’m proud and happy,’ Gudurić said after the game, also praising his teammates: “It’s all the team. All these guys… We’re really a team, and I always emphasise that word. This is a team victory and I am very happy, very proud and all the glory goes to God,” said the Serbian.
The victory in the Euroleague basketball has also made history for Fenerbahçe Beko coach Lithuanian Šarūnas Jasikevičius, who becomes one of the privileged few to have lifted the Turkish Airlines Euroleague trophy as both a player and a coach. It is also good news for Fenerbahçe football team fans, who can celebrate a major trophy after losing the Turkish Cup and finishing without a league title for the third season in a row, with Galatasaray once again crowned champion.
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Edited and reviewed by:
Pablo Gómez is a specialist in Turkey and has been editor-in-chief of Hispanatolia since 2011. He has been analysing current affairs and geopolitics in Turkey and the surrounding region since 2006.
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