A Final 4 in Turkey at the end of September could be the solution for the FIBA Europe Cup

This basketball season is compromised because the Coronavirus won’t stop soon. All the league are cancelled are will be in the next days. The only hope is for the NBA and Euroleague to be played later, in June, July but again there are no signs that the virus will be erased till then. So it remains only as a hope, not as a real option.

In Europe, the other continental competitions are searching for solutions and they were almost in the same phase when the virus became a real menace. For the Basketball Champions League the solution was found already by FIBA: a Final 8 tournament a the end of September and the beginning of October, but the host city is yet to be announced. The Eurocup could be concluded in the same manner with a Final 8 in September – this was the idea advanced by Virtus Bologna who is willing to organize the event.

The only competition to be settled is Fiba Europe Cup, who arrived at the semifinals stage, normally played in 2 legs, and then the Finals in the same format. The solution for crowning a champion could be the same: an event organized at the end of September, with new rosters, where the 4 remaining teams (Pinar Karsiyaka, Bahcesehir, Medi Bayreuth and Bakken Bears) will play a Final 4 hosted by one them. The location of the event should be in Turkey for the next reasons:

  • there are 2 teams from Turkey qualified in the semifinals (Pinar Karsiyaka and Bahcesehir) and I think one of them – most probably Pinar –  will be the winner of the competition
  • the basketball is more popular in Turkey than in Germany or Danmark and the number of fans to attend the event will be much bigger

It remains to see how the whole situation with the Coronavirus will evolve but organizing a Final 4 to crown the Fiba Europe Cup champion seems to be a good solution in these circumstances.

Photo: FIBA Europe Cup

Gratian Cormos

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