Messina needs to deliver a masterpiece
Ettore Messina is coming home to Italy after a wildly successful itinerant coaching career to take on a job with all kinds of issues. Emmet Ryan on how Olimpia Milano’s hot seat is the Harrenhal of European hoops Game of Thrones had one particularly infamous castle that wasn’t noted for any battles or murders but […]
Watch CSKA Moscow players react to winning the 2019 Euroleague title
It was a dramatic conclusion to the 2019 season as CSKA Moscow overcame Anadolu Efes to lift the 2019 Euroleague title at the Final Four in Vitoria-Gasteiz. Emmet Ryan spoke to the stars of the champions after the game First off we don’t want to spoil anything. This began as an interview with Daniel Hackett […]
CSKA show their nerve to become 2019 Euroleague champions
CSKA Moscow shot the lights out all night but they never got comfortable as a gallant Anadolu Efes side fought them to the last. Emmet Ryan on an enthralling close to the 2019 Euroleague Final Four That beautiful big booming voice of Eddy Vidal as he announced the players. Finally, at the end of a […]
Watch CSKA and Efes players react to making the Euroleague title game
They both went in with people questioning their chances, they both came out as winners on Friday at the 2019 Euroleague Final Four in the Fernando Buesa Arena. Emmet Ryan caught up with the players of Anadolu Efes and CSKA Moscow after both defied the doubters to make Sunday’s championship game Anadolu Efes had never […]
CSKA pull a miracle out of the fire
It was end to end, then it was sluggish, then it was a battle of nerves, then it was a Frenchman taking over. The second semi-final of the 2019 Euroleague Final Four had stars appearing, disappearing, and then finding their way back in a dramatic encounter that was only somewhat marred by an foul-ridden third […]
No longer the bridesmaids, Efes make Euroleague final
After more than two decades of being reminded time and again that they just didn’t belong competing for the big titles, Anadolu Efes bullied their way past Fenerbahce in the Fernando Buesa Arena with a dominant display to make a maiden Euroleague final. Emmet Ryan was on the scene When you control the tempo, when […]
2019 Euroleague Final Four primer
It’s the culmination of the European basketball season and it’s all happening in Vitoria-Gasteiz. CSKA Moscow, Efes, Fenerbahce, and Real Madrid, will all enter the Fernando Buesa Arena but only one will leave as the 2019 Euroleague champions. Emmet Ryan breaks down all you need to know before the action tips off on Friday The […]
Derby delight as Badalona put one foot in the playoffs
Laprovittola delivered a gem of a game as Badalona controlled the derby to all but guarantee their spot in the ACB playoffs. Emmet Ryan fluked his way into picking the most important game in Pavello Olimpic in years for this trip and took it all in Derby day, or Derbi day rather, between 8th and […]
Valencia add to a miserable week for Barcelona
The first half was bad basketball. The third quarter was mostly good basketball. The fourth was good bad basketball. Emmet Ryan almost fell asleep in Palau Blaugrana but eventually got a hot mess to enjoy as the BiE tour saw Barcelona fall to Valencia. The bad basketball was however a fine excuse to go off […]
Real romp past Estudiantes as derby day brings back memories
Ah you’ve just got to love the simplicity of European team anthems. especially when they seem totally alien to the backdrop. ¡Hala Madrid! by Jose De Aguilar, leading right into the more typical tune for a modern arena, Stop the Rock by Apollo 440. This is what you get when you go to sport on […]
Punter balls out as Virtus Bologna take BCL title
Basket City is back baby. With victory in the 2019 Basketball Champions League (BCL), Virtus Bologna ended a 10 year drought of major honours as they ensured another banner would be raised in PalaDozza. Emmet Ryan watched it all in the Sportpaleis in Antwerp Kevin Punter came here to play and the well-traveled man delivered […]
What you need to know about the Basketball Champions League final
It all comes down to this, Virtus Bologna vs Tenerife for one of the biggest prizes in European basketball. Rather than just do a straight preview, Emmet Ryan has a primer for those unfamiliar with the Basketball Champions League (BCL) or indeed the teams After two lopsided encounters in the semi-finals on Friday, both Virtus […]