The Greek giant Olympiacos won the Euroleague basketball championship, defeating Real Madrid 92:85 in the dramatic final.
With this historic triumph, Bulgarian winger Alexander Vezenkov became the first Bulgarian to lift the most prestigious club award in European basketball.
The “Red and White” from Piraeus took revenge on Real Madrid for the painful loss in the final in 2023. They also broke a ten-year “curse” by becoming the first team in a decade to win the title after finishing in first place in the regular season.
The Bulgarian star finished the game with 12 points and 4 rebounds. He scored key baskets and a crucial three-pointer in the final quarter, when the outcome of the match was decided.
French guard Evan Fournier was the most productive for his team with 20 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists, which earned him the Most Valuable Player (MVP) award of the Final Four. Alec Peters added another 16 points for the success.
The most productive player in the match for the Spanish giant was Trey Lyles with 24 points, and Mario Hezonja distinguished himself with 19 points.
The Euroleague trophy was the last major award that was missing from the Bulgarian international's career at the club level in Europe. Before the final tournament in Athens, Vezenkov was elected Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the regular season for the second time in his career and won the prize for top scorer No. 1 of the competition.
Vezenkov did not hide that he would need time to realize what he had managed to achieve with his club, BNR reported.
The Bulgarian paid attention to all the journalists waiting for him, answering in Bulgarian, Greek and English. "I can't even describe what the feeling is. I'm happy. I think I'll need time to realize what we managed to do", said the Bulgarian international.
"We had a lot of difficult moments, especially the guys who have been together for many years, but we already hold the trophy", continued Alexander Vezenkov. "At the end, it was such a big mess. I just wanted to hug my father and sister, as well as all my friends who were here. And to congratulate the people who watched me on TV. It was very difficult, but we did it," Vezenkov added.
"There were all kinds of thoughts. Everyone goes through difficult moments. I think this team deserved it and we finally succeeded. There was also relief because we went through so many difficult moments. Now it's like only my body is here, and my thoughts are somewhere else. I will keep the most difficult moment to myself, and the happiest is right now that I hold this title," he added.