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There will be, for the first time for almost a quarter of a century, two French clubs in the quarter -final of the Euroligue. We already knew it for Monaco who will face FC Barcelona. Let's be frank, we did not expect it at all for Paris Basketball which succeeded in a monumental feat. “It's the biggest moment in the history of Paris basketball”, savor the coach Tiago Splitter.
After a regular novice season that put Europe backwards, the capital's club went to compost its ticket for the playoffs by winning in Madrid on Tuesday (73-81). “It's a huge feeling, I think we had already marked the story, but we have marked history even more in Madrid. We have shown a lot of character. We are very proud. It is something incredible, to play our first year in the Euroligue and to go to playoffs today, it is striking »Savor Nadir Hifi.
Under the surprised eyes of Florentino Pérez, the president of the “White House”, Paris won in the Real room. We are talking about Real, the most successful club in the history of European basketball with its 11 continental coronations. We are talking about Real, the richest club also on the continent with its budget of 45 million euros when Paris presents finances up to € 19 million.
In the regular season, Madrid had nevertheless won the two confrontations but lost the one that counts the most. Real will have to beat Bayern Munich on Friday to join the big eight. Since 2013, Real has never missed the quarterfinals. But it could happen this time.
For Paris, it is therefore a first, phenomenal. The team of Tiago Splitter is only the 7th club in French basketball history to be at the meeting of the C1 under its different names after Charleville-Mézières (1960), Roanne (1961), L'Asvel (1962, 1965, 1997, 1999 to 2001), Limoges (1993 to 1995), Pau-Orthez (1993, 1996, 1999, 2001) to 2025). Only Limoges was crowned in 1993.
“We are really the hair to scratch that scares opponents
Thirty-two years later, can Paris Basketball succeed the CSP? The first thought is to say no. But with this team, we should no longer predict anything at all. Everything is possible even if the task promises to be formidable. “This team has character, she demonstrated it throughout the season. We are really the team -to -scratch team that scares opponents. We are outsiders but we are hungry and we want to prove that we have us here “claims Yakuba Ouattara.
The next scarecrow that stands is Turkish. Fenerbahçe is the same ilk as real. A colossal financial power (€ 33.5 million), a list that includes a European title and two lost finals. Second in the regular season (23V, 11D), the “Fener” is not a only historic club. From the start, he has been part of the top 3 favorites in the competition with the two Greeks of Panathinaikos and Olympiakos.
Very clearly, he will be favorite of the strong duel of his two successes in the regular season against the formation of the brilliant TJ Shorts. The Turks won 87-83 at Adidas Arena on March 3 and then much more difficult to do with them on the 25th of the same month 101-100.
Is Paris basketball now capable of a new feat, one more in this amazing season? The series will be played in 5 games maximum. The first who will win three will join the last square. The first two rounds will take place on the banks of the Bosphorus. Match 1 is scheduled for Tuesday April 22 and match 2, 48 hours later. To dream, Paris will have to win one of these two.
Match 3 will be played at Adidas Arena on a date that for the moment, remains to be determined. This should be around April 28 or 29 before a possible match 4, still in Paris on May 1 or 2. If there is a need for a decisive match 5, it will be necessary to return to the boiling atmosphere of Istanbul.
In the event of a feat, Paris in the semi-finals will face the winner of the quarter-final between EFES … Istanbul and Panathinaikos. But we are not there yet.
Before thinking following, with the presence of 2 French clubs in the quarter -final, there is also a concern to settle. Without going into details, the Euroligue regulation is clear. Neither Paris nor Monaco being permanent members of the institution, it is written that only the club which will go the furthest between the two will be able to return next season. Paris, let us remember, has only one guest ticket for this only season for its victory in Eurocoupe last year.
Fortunately, discussions between ECA (Euroleague Commercial Assets), the company which controls the Euroligue and Paris Basketball are well advanced. The Spanish company and the American owners of Paris Basketball are about to agree with a long -term lease. Paris will still be in Euroligue next year, it's a certainty.
“We have always said that we wanted a stable presence in Paris. Paris has the ambition of staying in the long -term Euroligue. It is our shareholders who will decide but it will not be difficult to find an agreement, because we are very close to each other. This conversation to achieve a conclusion that satisfies the two parties is underway ”confirms the body which also wants to keep Monaco.
If it needed an additional argument, the exceptional season proves that Paris deserves its place, and for a few more years, in the European basketball gratin.
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