The EuroLeague Final Four is the pinnacle of each season, where four teams battle for the throne and the trophy in their showcases.
As time passes and technological advancements continue, hosting a EuroLeague Final Four has become a matter of prestige. It’s no wonder that many European cities are somewhat envious of Belgrade. In the Serbian capital, the Final Four has been organized twice in the recent past.
News emerged about an agreement between the EuroLeague and the Moscow City Council to hold the 2019 Final Four in the newly built VTB Arena in the heart of the Russian capital. Andrei Peregudov, the project manager of VTB Arena Park at the time, announced this in an official statement.
The Russian claimed that the host would bear the costs of organizing the Final Four on the condition that the tournament be held at the VTB Arena. The then-president of the EuroLeague, Jordi Bertomeu, confirmed this in 2016.
“We have an agreement in place, and it stands. However, everything will depend on the readiness of the VTB Arena. For now, it’s unofficial, but we would like to hold the 2019 Final Four in Moscow,” Jordi Bertomeu told “TASS” in 2016.
EuroLeague had to urgently find an alternative solution
“We are grateful to the members of the committee for their trust and the opportunity to host such a prestigious tournament as the EuroLeague Final Four. I am confident that we will cope with this difficult task and hold an unforgettable competition in the Russian capital, in the cradle of domestic sports,” Peregudov said to the same news agency two years later.
The EuroLeague was not in a hurry to officially confirm Peregudov’s words, although the Moscow City Council approved the event and its organization in early 2018.
In the end, the VTB Arena was not adequately constructed on time, and the EuroLeague had to urgently find an alternative solution. Ultimately, in May 2018, Vitoria-Gasteiz was chosen as the host.
Several sports events scheduled to take place in that arena had to be postponed. Although the initial plan was for construction to be completed in 2017, the first hockey game was played only in January 2019.
“Unfortunately, they did not fulfill their obligations. The arena was not operational on time, and as a result, we had to urgently seek a replacement for Moscow. We were shocked and had to improvise, which is why we held the Final Four in Spain,” said Jordi Bertomeu three years after the Final Four tournament was played in Vitoria instead of Moscow when asked about the topic.