Fenerbahçe Beko makes Euro history with dominant sweep into Final 4


Fenerbahçe Beko is heading back to the EuroLeague Final Four – again.

The Istanbul giants steamrolled past France’s Paris Basketball 3-0 in the quarterfinal series, sealing their seventh all-time Final Four ticket and their second in a row under head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius.

With this sweep – secured by scores of 83-78, 89-72 at home and 98-88 in Paris – Fenerbahçe became the first team to punch its ticket to Abu Dhabi, where the Final Four tips off on May 23-25.

The Turkish powerhouse will face the winner of the other quarterfinal between Anadolu Efes and Panathinaikos AKTOR.

That series is level at 1-1, with Efes reclaiming home-court advantage after a win in Athens.

Adversity into dominance

Despite finishing second in the regular season, Fenerbahçe’s campaign wasn’t without turbulence.

The club endured a mid-season dip triggered by key injuries but rebounded strongly following strategic transfers.

Jasikevicius’ squad lost just once at home in the second half of the season – against Barcelona – and posted a 23-11 record, trailing only Olympiacos.

Backed by a raucous Ulker Sports Arena crowd and a rejuvenated roster, Fenerbahçe regained its rhythm just in time for the playoffs.

Playoff pedigree

Jasikevicius’ men made quick work of Paris, marking the fourth time Fenerbahçe has advanced to the Final Four with a 3-0 sweep.

Previous victims include Maccabi Tel Aviv (2015), Real Madrid (2016) and Panathinaikos (2017).

The club also made history last year by becoming the first EuroLeague team to win a decisive Game 5 on the road – beating Monaco 80-79 in overtime. Now, Fenerbahçe has ousted French teams two years in a row.

Turkish basketball’s leading light

With this run, Fenerbahçe solidifies its status as Türkiye’s most successful EuroLeague club. No other Turkish team has reached more Final Fours – seven in total. Anadolu Efes, by comparison, has five appearances (2000, 2001, 2019, 2021, 2022).

Fenerbahçe’s golden era includes the 2017 title won on home soil in Istanbul, along with three runner-up finishes and two fourth-place results.

Over the last decade, they’ve reached the Final Four seven times – more than any other team in the competition.

One more shot at glory

While Fenerbahçe’s coach is no stranger to the EuroLeague’s biggest stage, the Lithuanian tactician is still chasing his first title.

Jasikevicius, 49, will now make his sixth Final Four appearance as a head coach. He debuted in 2018 with Zalgiris, then guided Barcelona to the semifinals three straight years (2021–2023). After taking over Fenerbahçe mid-season last year, he’s now delivered back-to-back Final Four appearances – but has yet to lift the trophy.

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