The biggest time, until the next! OR National basketball Faces tonight (21:00, newsit.gr, ERT-1 and Novasports Start) Turkeyin order to exclude her and return for the fourth time in her history in a final Eurobasket.
For the first time in 16 years and the bronze medal in the 2009 Eurobasket in Poland, national basketball qualifies for the four best teams of any event and wants – first – to secure a medal. Vasilis Spanoulis’ team – top of her “weapon” by Yiannis Antetokonbos – knows that she has a unique opportunity, to reach the distinction and write … history. It reached the four, knowing only one defeat, in the group phase, from Bosnia / Herzegovina.
In the past, the “Official Favorite” was found in Europe’s four best teams in the following years: 1949 (3rd, in an event that did not run knockout, but all played with everyone), 1987 (1st), 1989 (2nd), 1993 (4th) (4th)
Tonight is also the 10th presence of the “official favorite” in the four in the history of European championships. The work of Vasilis Spanoulis’ team is not easy, as Turkey is in front of it, a team that reached the semifinals of the competition, without a single defeat.
This is the first time Turkey has returned to the semifinals of a Eurobasket since 2001, that is, 24 years later, while in the previous Eurobasket, the 2022 team of Ergkin Ataman had taken 10th place. Alperien Sangun is the top player of the neighbors and one of the best in the tournament.
Vasilis Spanoulis’ team took a great qualification to Lithuania. Turkey made Poland in the quarter -finals and chases the second medal of its history after 2001.
Our national team had the support of its hundreds of friends in the match with Lithuania a few hours ago, but for the big semifinal with Turkey it is expected to be … a landing on Riga and the “Xiaomi Arena”. The EEC has officially requested 1,500 tickets from FIBA ​​for Friday’s semifinals, but over 2,000 Greeks may find on the platforms. Turkey will also have many people for the match with Greece, as the neighbors’ side has chartered charter.
The… past of the two teams
The basketball rivalry of Greece and Turkey counts almost a century of life. The two teams have faced 67 times, with Greece having the upper hand with 44 wins over 23 in Turkey. Their first meeting was written on June 25, 1936 in Constantinople, with Turkey 49-12 prevailing
At the Eurobasket level, Greece and Turkey have confronted a total of five times. In all five, our national team was the winner. The last time when the two were faced was at the Eurobasket of 2013, when Greece had prevailed 84-61.