Euroleague: shattered dreams as AS Monaco Basket lose final to Fenerbahçe
The Roca Boys nevertheless have had the best Euroleague season in the club's history © AS Monaco Basket
It was a cruel end to the Roca Team’s Final Four adventure at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi on Sunday. Despite an encouraging first half, the Monegasques were outplayed in money-time by the Turks, who clinched their second European title.
The first Euroleague final in Monegasque history will be remembered with frustration. After holding their own against Fenerbahçe until half-time, the Roca Team’s hopes were dashed in the last twenty minutes.
The turning point came in the final quarter (27-19 for Istanbul), with Mike James and his team-mates failing to score at crucial moments.
Marko Gudurić in particular, in MVP mode in the second half (76-66), helped turn the tide on what had been an evenly-balanced match until then. As is often the case at this level of competition, the details made all the difference in the final, which ended with a scoreline of 81-70.
A page of history
While bitterness was the prevailing emotion in the heat of the moment, qualifying for the final is still a historic achievement for French basketball. Only Limoges has ever reached that stage, in 1993. AS Monaco only joined the Euroleague four years ago, and has only been in the national elite for 10 years. It is a meteoric rise by any standards, and one that commands respect.
The incredible European campaign, crowned by a memorable Final Four, lays the foundations for a promising future for Vassilis Spanoulis’ team.
“That’s basketball, that’s life. We fought for 40 minutes. The two teams have more or less the same statistics. The difference was in the turnovers, that’s what it came down to. It’s a long season, in the Final Four, 4 teams come to win, but in the end only one pulls it off. We started the game well, moving the ball around, but they defended very well and they had a stronger attack. Well done to Fener,” said the coach.
On to the French championship
No time to wallow in self-pity for the Roca Boys, who will have to get over their disappointment quickly. This Wednesday, they face Le Mans in the quarter-finals of the Betclic Elite, the first step towards a possible consolation prize at national level.
As for Fenerbahçe, they can savour their second European title since 2017, a reward for a successful season by a solid team that was able to raise its game when required.