By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The third annual Basketball Champions League Final Four versus Eurovision Song Contest mash-up is here.
Combining the Final Four with our guilty pleasure became much more complicated. Three Spanish teams dominating the field to compete in Belgrade forced most connections beyond the borders of the respective contenders. At the end of the day, enjoying basketball and music with friends and family remains the message.
Between 7 and 11 of May, the 2024 Eurovision Song Contest will be held in Malmo, Sweden. A full week after the next BCL champion will be crowned in Belgrade, Serbia. So, keep the schedule in mind when preparing to spread necessary food and drinks between both trademark events.
Among the 37 countries participating in the 68th installment of Eurovision, four earned an attachment to Lenovo Tenerife, Peristeri bwin, UCAM Murcia, and Unicaja.
From Belgrade Arena to Malmo Arena, get ready for entertaining action.
Resist the temptation to convert the below links into fun bets or not.
Teams and Songs
Lenono Tenerife: Mon amour (France)
France is an automatic entry in the Eurovision Final, much like the team based in the Canary Islands reaching the championship-crowning stage of the Champions League in seven of eight editions. Looking into “Mon amour’, a love poem, a melody, or Marcelinho Huertas finding teammates and especially Giorgi Shermadini in favorable positions to pile up points for Tenerife over the last five years.
Peristeri bwin: Fighter (Luxembourg)
Refraining from an obvious choice to put in Greece’s Zari, Luxembourg returning to the Eurovision after 31 years deserved a spot on our list. “I know you’re a fighter,” and “Hear the sound of your dreams, you’re so near,” points out Tali, describing how to thrive on adversity or even Peristeri bwin prevailing against three ACB teams in Serbia.
UCAM Murcia: ZORRA (Spain)
The lone direct link between club and country is with the controversial Eurovision bid of Spain and UCAM Murcia. When all is said and done, a pop song is a natural fit in the annual song contest. Switching between impressive defensive and offensive displays, the Universitarios resemble unpredictable rhythm and lyrics.
Unicaja: Rim Tim Tagi Dim (Croatia)
The song describes how Croatians seek better lives outside their own country. Our interpretation of ‘I’m a big boy now,’ varies into Unicaja being more than ready to lift the BCL trophy after previous campaigns ended in the Semifinals and the Quarterfinals.
BCL and Eurovision
Basketball Champions League Final Four schedule
Semifinals (26/4)
Lenovo Tenerife – Peristeri bwin (18:00 CET)
UCAM Murcia – Unicaja (21:00 CET)
Finals (28/4)
Third-place game (17:00 CET)
Championship game (20:00 CET)
Eurovision schedule
First semifinal (7/5, 21:00 CET)
Second semifinal (9/5, 21:00 CET)
Final (11/5, 21:00 CET)
The 2022 and 2023 links between the Champions League and Eurovision.
Photo Credit: Getty Images / Basketball Champions League