Sergio Scariolo arrived at the 2026 EuroLeague Final Four with perspective rather than pressure as Real Madrid prepares to face Valencia Basket in Friday’s semifinal in Athens.
During Thursday’s opening press conference, Scariolo reflected on returning to the EuroLeague Final Four stage nearly two decades after his last appearance in Athens in 2007. The veteran coach acknowledged the significance of competing for the only major title missing from his résumé, but he rejected the idea that winning the EuroLeague defines a coaching career.
“It’s not an obsession,” Scariolo said. “Many great coaches didn’t win the EuroLeague and they are still great coaches.”
The Italian coach enters the Final Four with one of the most decorated résumés in international basketball. He has won multiple titles in Spain and Italy, captured a EuroCup championship, earned eight medals with the Spanish national team and was part of the Toronto Raptors coaching staff that won the 2019 NBA championship.
Real Madrid now has a chance to extend its record to 12 EuroLeague titles after finishing the regular season 24-14 and defeating Hapoel Tel Aviv 3-1 in the playoffs.
Scariolo praised the level of competition across the league and emphasized that reaching the Final Four itself remains a major accomplishment. Real Madrid enters the weekend with one of the tournament’s most experienced rosters, led by veteran guard Facundo Campazzo.
“I think that the Final Four really is an excellent area where just the four best teams made it,” Scariolo said. “That separates a little bit the excellence from really good teams which didn’t make it.”
The Madrid coach also addressed the physical challenges his team has faced this season. Real Madrid advanced despite dealing with injuries to key frontcourt players late in the year, forcing tactical adjustments on both ends of the floor.
“This year we had a couple of main big injuries,” Scariolo said. “But we are here happy to be here and ready to compete.”
Real Madrid’s experience could become critical against a Valencia team that has emerged as one of the biggest surprises in Europe this season. Valencia finished second in the regular season at 25-13 before rallying from a 0-2 deficit to eliminate Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens in five games.
The semifinal also carries an additional layer because of the long-standing relationship between Scariolo and Valencia coach Pedro Martinez. During the press conference, Scariolo spoke about their friendship and shared respect for the game.
“We are still here,” Scariolo said. “We see a lot in front of us.”
He also explained why he returned to club basketball after stepping away from the Spanish national team setup.
“When personally I left the national team it’s just because I wanted to go through this experience and prove basically to myself that I can still help a team to reach good results,” Scariolo said.
Real Madrid enters the Final Four with momentum after winning seven of its last 10 EuroLeague games. Valencia, however, has been one of the hottest offensive teams in the competition, creating a matchup that could hinge on Madrid’s experience and defensive discipline.
The winner advances to Sunday’s championship game against either Olympiacos or Fenerbahce.
