By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Confirming the rumors regarding head coach Chus Mateo, Real Madrid officially extended his contract until the end of the 2025-26 season.
The deal was announced on Thursday.
Since taking over from Pablo Laso, Mateo guided Los Blancos to the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague championship in 2023, won the ACB and Copa del Rey titles in 2024, and also prevailed in back-to-back editions of Supercopa Endesa in 2022 and 2023. In addition, he was named Alexander Gomelsky EuroLeague Coach of the Year for the 2023-24 EuroLeague season. Working as an assistant under Laso from 2014 to 2022, he celebrated 19 more championships, including the EuroLeague triumphs in 2015 and 2018.
On an expiring contract, the 55-year-old play-caller was in talks with the front office of the storied club to renew his contract over the bottom end of the 2023-24 campaign. Forced to the wrong end of the championship game of the 2024 EuroLeague Final Four by Panathinaikos Aktor in Berlin’s Uber Arena, the native of Madrid bounced back by leading his hometown team to the Liga Endesa championship, and from there reached an agreement on a new contract.
Shaping the roster for the next installments of the EuroLeague and domestic competitions in Spain, the ACB champions officially extended the contract of Mario Hezonja until the end of the 2028-29 season and brought in Andres Feliz from Joventut Badalona on a three-year contract. Additional signings are more than likely, including towering center Walter Tavares expected to ink a long-term contract extension.