Dimitris Itoudis advocates for the EuroLeague to replace its Final Four format with a full playoff series: "Basketball equals playoffs."
Two-time EuroLeague champion (as head coach) and longtime tactician Dimitris Itoudis is in favor of a change to the EuroLeague Final Four format.
Currently, the EuroLeague playoffs are played as best-of-five series, but the semifinals and final are decided by just one game each. Itoudis believes it's time for that to change.
"Playoffs, basketball is playoffs," Itoudis told SportsRabbi about his preferences. "We have had two [EuroCup] semifinals that both went to Game 3, and they were very exciting, and I believe that EuroLeague needs to consider that for sure.
"l am in favor of a playoff system even though I have been in 14 [EuroLeague] Final Fours, and I have huge respect to this organization and the Final Four. But I believe that basketball equals playoffs."
Itoudis is currently coaching Hapoel Shlomo Tel Aviv and could return to the EuroLeague as soon as next season. After beating Valencia in the EuroCup semifinals, Hapoel is set to face Gran Canaria in the final—a matchup that's not just about winning, but about what comes next.
Gran Canaria, despite winning the EuroCup in 2023, declined the EuroLeague invitation due to financial and logistical concerns. That makes Hapoel the frontrunner to secure a EuroLeague spot for the 2025-26 season.
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