The FC Bayern basketball team again just missed their first leap into the Final Four of the EuroLeague. Coach Andrea Trinchieri’s team lost the decisive fifth quarterfinals at last year’s finalists FC Barcelona 72:81 (37:31) and thus the best-of-five series 2:3. In the last season, the Munich team were unfortunately eliminated in five games in the round of eight. No German club has ever made it to the final tournament.
“My players have shown an incredible streak. I’m proud,” said Trinchieri. Managing Director Marko Pesic also bowed to “MagentaSport”: “Huge respect for the whole team. It was a great performance in the first half. It’s the character of the team that they never give up. Congratulations to the coaches.”
Almost exactly a year to the day after the bitter failure at Armani Milan in Italy, when an 89:92 in game five meant the end, Bayern lost to the main round winners Barcelona after a drop in performance in the second half. Another success for the Catalans after the coup in the second duel of the series (90:75) seemed possible for a long time.
Due to the defeat in the Palau Blaugrana, Bayern failed to get a ticket for the final tournament in Belgrade (May 19-21). Before Barca, defending champions Anadolu Istanbul had qualified with German international Tibor Pleiss and top Spanish club Real Madrid. Olympiacos Piraeus and AS Monaco determine the last participant.
“The most important thing is that we’re here,” Trinchieri said before the game, reiterating that Barcelona were the big favourites. But four days after the victory in the local Audi Dome (59:52), through which they had forced the fifth duel, the Munich team initially set the tone.
Barca turns up in the closing stages
After an 11:0 run it was 15:9 (7th minute), Barcelona hardly scored anything, Bayern took advantage of the weakness and went into the break with a small cushion. A higher leadership would have been quite possible.
In the third quarter the picture changed completely, suddenly the Spaniards dominated, made up for the deficit and for the first time ten points clear (58:48/30.).
The game section went to the Catalans with 29:15. The Bavarians around top scorer Othello Hunter (18 points) tried in vain, Barca no longer allowed tension to arise. Last year Munich was the first Bundesliga club to make it into the playoffs.