After the conclusion of the Euroleague Top 16 with yesterday's last matches, we already have the complete schedule for the quarter-finals, scheduled from 12 to 26 April, with these four great challenges: Fenerbahce Istanbul-Real Madrid, Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar-Barcelona , Laboral Kutxa Vitoria-Panathinaikos Athens and CSKA Moscow-Red Star Belgrade.
All very interesting crosses, which will take place with series of the best of 5 games with the top seeds (first and second qualified in the two groups that have just ended) who will play the first two games and the eventual final at home, an advantage that could be decisive in such balanced challenges.
The most fascinating match is certainly the one between our Gigi Datome's Fenerbahce (one of the protagonists of the team that performed best in the Top 16) and the reigning champions Real Madrid, present in these quarter-finals thanks to the victory in what was a real play-off against the Russians of Khimki, after that already in the initial group they had obtained the qualification for the second phase right at the last and avoided a clamorous elimination.
Spaniards who have therefore shown that they are not wrong when they find themselves with their backs to the wall, but who will now probably face the most serious candidate for final success together with CSKA Moscow, a battle in which the Turks can count on the field factor and which it can almost be considered an anticipated final (last year they met in the semifinals).
Between Lokomotiv Kuban-Barcelona and Vitoria-Panathinaikos it's really hard to make predictions, with the needle that could lean slightly on the side of the two that have home advantage on their side, but at these levels it could also mean nothing. Starting from the first intersection, on the one hand we have the Russians who finished second behind Fenerbahce and for the first time in their history among the top eight in Europe (but who won the Eurocup in 2013), on the other Barça, that in the initial group had finished second right behind Kuban, while this time they only got the pass on the last day, thanks to the (very tiring) victory on the field of Zalgiris Kaunas, eliminated some time ago and which finished with the worst record of these Top 16.
In Vitoria-Panathinaikos we have what (not because of its history, but because of the forecasts at the beginning of the season) can be said to have been the revelation of this second phase, the Basques who arrived behind only CSKA, against a regular in these phases of Euroleague, the Greeks 6 times winners of the competition, but who are perhaps slightly less scary than in the past.
The only quarter on the cards clearly unbalanced in favor of one of the two teams is that between the battleship CSKA Moscow and the surprise Red Star, with the first two-time winners of the event and the Serbs pleasantly found at these levels even in Europe that counts after some dark years (and dragged by the revelation Quincy Miller, in the last few hours put under contract for the next two years by Maccabi Tel Aviv, looking for a relaunch after this bankruptcy European season). The Russians, who started as big favorites for the umpteenth time in the last few editions, should therefore hit their fifth Final Four in a row (with a grand final loss), but in the Top 16 group they showed that they are not unbeatable (4 defeats before last match tonight at Olympiakos) and in basketball never take anything for granted, even if not seeing Teodosic and his companions among the top four powers on the continent would really be a surprise.
Three Spanish, two Russian, one Turkish, one Greek and one Croatian, many always present at these levels, others less accustomed, all with the aim of reaching the Final Four in Berlin scheduled for May 12th to 15th. Returning to the Top 16, in group E (that of Fenrbahce, Kuban, Pana and Stella Rossa) the great excluded is Efes Istanbul, which was not enough to comeback in the second round and once again failed to overcome that extra step to sit at the table with the strongest, Unicaja Malaga can be considered a disappointment, not so much for the lack of qualification, but for the bad path that, waiting for the last match against Fenerbahce, could end with only three successes, while not much more could be asked of the Turks of Darussafaka and the Croatians of Cedevita (the punishers of Milan in the first phase) and their Euroleague can still be defined as positive.
In group F (that of CSKA, Vitoria, Barcelona and Real) it had instead reached this last round with as many as 6 teams fighting for the last two valid places (with only CSKA and Vitoria already qualified and Zalgiris now out of the games for a while). The two favorites came out of this exciting situation, the blaugrana who started from the best position and the blancos who, as mentioned, got the better of Khimki (more easily than expected), who nonetheless started off very strongly and beat the CSKA.
The Germans of Bamberg also remain out, authors in any case of excellent progress (with Niccolò Melli often among the best), and the vice-champions of Olympiakos (with Daniel Hackett), who after dominating a frankly easy initial round (that of Milan), in these Top 16 have shown that they have something less than in recent seasons, but that if they were to win their last match today (against CSKA) they would still finish with a 7-7 record, the same as qualified Real (like Khimki and Bamberg).
European season finale which unfortunately will not see Aquila Trento involved, which after months of feats and applause, had to give up on Wednesday at home by -8 against Strasbourg, thus failing to defend the 6 point tally conquered in France on the way. A real shame and great regret for an incredible goal that was barely touched (and with an almost touching Pascolo) for a club that will certainly continue to do well in the coming years, but which may have missed an opportunity that is difficult to repeat.
In the final Strasbourg will face Galatasaray, with the Turks who in the double confrontation with Gran Canaria overturned the prediction of the eve, but obtained a heart-pounding qualification only at the end of a very tight overtime (5-4 the score) after the Spaniards, within the friendly walls, had recovered the -14 immediately on the way to Istanbul.
It is difficult to say whether the two strongest formations of a good competition have reached the final which, even if it will not have the charm and squadrons of the Euroleague, in the previous rounds saw teams such as Valencia, Maccabi or Kazan exit (in addition to Milan and the his umpteenth wasted opportunity given that in a final like this they would certainly have played on equal terms), but it must be said that the French in the initial round of the Euroleague, before being eliminated, had obtained the prestigious scalps of Real Madrid at home, Fenerbahce and Red Star (all three still in the running), while Galatasaray is an always insidious team, surly like all Turkish teams and where talent is not lacking, including the former singer-songwriter Micov and the former Sassari player Calebb Green.
Trento's European season can only do good for our basketball, but our movement has shown that it is still far from the best (just think of Spain and its three teams still in the Euroleague) and the last level European final continues to missing since 2004 when Fortitudo Bologna surrendered to Maccabi in the last act.
To tell the truth, Virtus Bologna in 2009 and Reggio Emilia in 2014 brought home a European trophy, that Eurochallenge, the third continental event, a bit snubbed, almost not advertised at all and what is certain not even remotely comparable to the first two (especially in the Euroleague) regarding the level of quality and competitiveness.
Better than nothing though, so it's worth pointing out that there is an Italian still in the running this year too and it's a bit of a surprise that Varese has been struggling in the league since the start of the season, but in the one this year it's called the Europe Cup, after beating the Belgians in Antwerp in the quarter-finals, it will play against the French side Chalon/Saone in the semi-final, while the other match will be between the German side Frankfurt and the Russian side Enisey. Straightforward both the semifinals and the final, all we have to do is root for the red and white and hope in a few years to come back to contend for the most important trophies.
