By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Euroleague Basketball has yet to announce the host of the season-ending Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four but Kaunas is currently the only candidate, as confirmed by Eurohoops sources.
Despite rumors, the next EuroLeague champion will not be crowned in Dubai. The other candidate to host the 2023 Final Four had the looks of a stretch from day one. The top-tier club continental competition of Europe expanding with a team based in the most populous city in the United Arab Emirates would be the first step and the next, including a potential Final Four in Dubai, to follow.
Already the frontrunner, Kaunas is now the lone candidate. Zalgiris general manager Paulius Motiejunas revealed the club’s application to organize the next Final Four last month. He later added that the plan does not carry the financial support of Lithuania’s government.
The second largest city in the country does not have previous experience in hosting a EuroLeague Final Four. But major international tournaments have been held in Kaunas, including the knockout stage of the 2011 FIBA EuroBasket.
Gazzetta.gr first reported Kaunas as the lone remaining candidate to welcome the four teams advancing through the 34-game Regular Season and then surviving the best-of-five Playoff series.
As for 2024 Final Four, the event will return to Berlin, as reported by Eurohoops. The German capital was slated to conclude the 2021-22 season but a last-minute change due to COVID-19 restrictions moved the Final Four to Belgrade. Anadolu Efes became a back-to-back champion in Serbia last May.