ESP - Euroleague Final Four in 2008 to be staged in Madrid
MADRID (Euroleague) - Spanish basketball received another shot in the arm on Tuesday when the Euroleague announced Madrid will host the competition's Final Four in 2008. Only last weekend, the EuroCup Final Four was staged in Girona and Spain is also hosting this year's EuroBasket.
MADRID (Euroleague) - Spanish basketball received another shot in the arm on Tuesday when the Euroleague announced Madrid will host the competition's Final Four in 2008.
Only last weekend, the EuroCup Final Four was staged in Girona and Spain is also hosting this year's EuroBasket.
Spain's top domestic competition, the ACB, is widely regarded as the strongest in Europe.
And the country's teams have been major players in recent times, with DKV Joventut and Akasvayu Girona winning the last two EuroCups, Real Madrid lifting the ULEB Cup this month and most impressive of all, Spain's men capturing the gold medal at last year's FIBA World Championship in Japan.
The venue for the Euroleague Final Four from May 2-4 will be the new 14,000-seat Community of Madrid Sports Palace.
Athens is hosting this year's Final Four and two Spanish teams - Unicaja Malaga and Tau Ceramica - are taking part.
Last year, Prague staged the Euroleague Final Four and both Tau and Winterthur Barcelona took part.
Jeff Taylor
FIBA