Basketball Sphere in Athens – Friday brought all kinds of excitement, culminating in the EuroLeague Final Four semifinals.
From the very beginning of the day and the endless search for taxis, there was a sharp sense of tension throughout Athens, especially among the Olympiacos B.C. fans we encountered, nervously biting their nails ahead of tipoff.
All of that tension disappeared the moment the game started. Fenerbahçe Beko went seven minutes without scoring in the opening quarter, then another six-minute drought in the second. Despite everything, they somehow stayed alive, mostly because the team from Piraeus wasn’t exactly dazzling offensively either.
Then, Sasha Vezenkov stepped up and reminded everyone why he belongs to the exclusive group of two-time EuroLeague MVP winners. He completely dismantled the defending champions, and it hardly needs to be said how little it takes for the Bulgarian star to catch fire. At that point, it was clear — the verdict had been delivered to Fenerbahce.
Backed by an unbelievably loud crowd (the OAKA Olympic Indoor Hall was shaking so intensely at times that it genuinely felt uncomfortable, and the same happened several times during the second semifinal), Olympiacos B.C. secured another chance at the title, their first in 13 years.
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Whether they will finally capture it remains to be seen on Sunday, when an old rival awaits them — Real Madrid Baloncesto. “Los Blancos,” despite losing every true center on the roster after Usman Garuba suffered an injury, regrouped behind an outstanding performance from Mario Hezonja and earned another opportunity to climb back to the top of European basketball.
We all remember how it looked three years ago — Olympiacos controlled the game, while Madrid constantly found ways to keep their heads above water. Then came the moment of the man known as “La Mandarina,” Sergio Llull.
Who will be the new Llull? Can a new cult hero like Georgios Printezis emerge inside the Telekom Center? We’ll find out very soon…
OAKA IS SHAKING: YOU CAN FEEL THE SMELL OF THE FINAL FOR OLYMPIACOS! 🔴🏆#OlympiacosBC #F4GLORY pic.twitter.com/2794dEJTfl
— Basketball Sphere (@BSphere_) May 22, 2026
The second semifinal between Real Madrid and Valencia is already underway, but Olympiacos fans are STILL creating an incredible atmosphere inside OAKA and celebrating their trip to the Final!👀🔥 #F4GLORY #OlympiacosBC pic.twitter.com/b71qDSfnxK
— Basketball Sphere (@BSphere_) May 22, 2026
