Berlin’s Mercedes-Benz Arena will host the EuroLeague Final Four for the third time next year, with Germany to become the first country to stage consecutive editions of Euroleague Basketball’s showpiece event.
Scheduled for May 27-29, 2022, next year’s Final Four will follow previous events held at the Berlin arena, which seats 14,500 in basketball mode, back in 2016 and 2009. Work has already begun on the planning stages for next year’s accompanying events, including the FanZone and the EuroLeague Awards Ceremony.
Euroleague’s decision comes with Germany becoming a strategically important market for the club basketball organisation. German basketball has taken steps forward in recent years with ALBA Berlin and FC Bayern Munich both competing in the top-tier EuroLeague. Last season, Bayern became the first German club to reach the EuroLeague Playoffs.
“It’s a real pleasure to announce that the Final Four will visit Germany for the second consecutive year, returning to Berlin, one of the most emblematic Turkish Airlines EuroLeague cities,” said Jordi Bertomeu, Euroleague Basketball president and CEO.
“It is no secret that Germany is one of our most important strategic markets, with enormous growth possibilities. It is my biggest desire that after Cologne’s Final Four, all of our fans will have the chance to join us for the third time in the magnificent Mercedes-Benz Arena to enjoy again the EuroLeague experience.”
In April, Euroleague Basketball confirmed that this season’s Final Four in Cologne will be held without fans due to ongoing restrictions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Cologne’s Lanxess Arena will host the event from May 28-30 and Euroleague Basketball had been working on several scenarios to allow as many fans in as possible.
Ultimately, the decision was taken to stage the event behind closed doors, with attendance to be restricted to teams, working staff and selected media. Several clubs competing in the EuroLeague this season have been able to welcome fans to their home arenas but this will not be the case for the Final Four in Germany.
In September, Lanxess Arena secured hosting rights to the 2021 Final Four. Euroleague Basketball was originally due to stage the 2020 edition in the city, only for the organisation to decide to cancel its 2019-20 competitions back in May 2020 due to the impact of COVID-19.
Euroleague Basketball will once again collaborate with global venue management company AEG for the 2022 Final Four. It will be the fifth Final Four the two parties have joined forces on. On top of the two previous Final Fours in Berlin, Euroleague Basketball and AEG also worked together on the 2010 Final Four in Paris and the 2013 edition in London.
“We are excited that the Turkish Airlines Final Four returns to Berlin for a third time, further strengthening a longstanding partnership between Euroleague and AEG,” said Gael Caselli, vice-president of sports at AEG Europe.
“Both previous Final Fours left their mark as two of the most memorable events the Mercedes-Benz Arena has ever hosted. We are confident that the tournament weekend in 2022 will add to that legacy.”
Image: dronepicr/CC BY 2.0/Edited for size
Share this