By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Zaragoza is a pretty young team, however, it had already made headlines in the past. The Spanish club is just 17 years old but it was the first to sign Giannis Antetokounmpo to a professional contract and also the heartbreaking story of coach Jose Luis Abos touched the hearts of fans all over Europe.
However, this season will be also fondly remembered. Zaragoza registered its second-best finish in the Spanish Liga Endesa by being fourth – the club finished third back in the 2012-13 season – and decided to play in the Basketball Champions League.
It’s the first time ever in the short history of the Basketball Champions League that a club which finished on the top four of the Spanish League will take part in the competition.
This turn of events goes hand in hand with the BCL’s targets.
As CEO Patrick Comninos said in the recent Final Four: “We are trying to establish the BCL in more territories as possible. We put a focus on Spain. ACB is arguably one of the top leagues in Europe. BCL suffered a bit by being broadcasted on regional TV in the Canary Islands or Murcia. We want national exposure. We are in the process of discussions with the hope of a national broadcaster in Spain. It will be a huge leap for us in an environment that has an overexposure for basketball”.
Zaragoza has played between 2013 and 2016 in the EuroCup, but during the 2015-16 season the club lost its main sponsor and ended up finishing 12th in the Spanish League. Things remained gloom during the 2016-17 season (15th in the league) and during the 2017-18 season (16th in the league) with Zaragoza fighting to avoid relegation.
Everything changed this year. Zaragoza emerged as the Cinderella of the Spanish league by entering the playoffs and upsetting KIROLBET Baskonia Vitoria Gasteiz in the first round. The team of coach Porfirio Fisac was swept by FC Barcelona Lassa in the semis, still, it had one of the best seasons ever in the history of the club.
Zaragoza’s BCL season will be monitored closely and the club can already be considered a possible title contender. After all, the city had hosted the European Champions Cup – the predecessor of the EuroLeague – Final Four back in 1994 and it might be time for a return to “Pabellón Príncipe Felipe”.