By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul – two teams synonymous with European basketball success, two coaches with long-standing Euroleague Legacies.
Last season Olympiacos lost to Anadolu Efes in the final seconds of the Belgrade semifinal. Still, by taking the top of the standings this season, the Piraeus team showed it’s coming for the crown again.
“Sometimes, even if you lose, the fighting spirit is very important in this club. I hope that this enthusiasm, this great feeling that I have for this team, will end up at the end of the season with titles,” Georgios Bartzokas said.
This season – a new dawn for Fenerbahce. Led by Dimitris Itozdis, Fener now targets the first Final Four in three years as they look to bring the Euroleague trophy back to their side of the Bosphorus.
“We have the desire, the knowledge, and the capacity to get out there and give our flights. Everything has to be earned on the court. As long as we have a healthy mind and body, this is what we’re looking for, and that’s what I’m asking, what I’m praying to,” Itoudis said.
Even though it’s the duel of first and eight seeded teams, it seems like we are in for a fun ride in Piraeus and Istanbul, with a duel between European powerhouses.