Real Madrid are about to go against EuroLeague history to win it all / News - Basketnews.com

Real Madrid face two major EuroLeague curses to repeat as champions.

Credit: IMAGO/CordonPress - Scanpix Credit IMAGO/CordonPress - Scanpix

Real Madrid pretty much dominated the EuroLeague regular season, securing the top spot ages ago. But history got its eye on them, and it's not exactly cheering them on.

Points this season

49%89,0Points made:89,0Accuracy:49,1%Place in standings:1Record max:130Record min:65Best scorer:Mario HezonjaTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

After securing the first EuroLeague regular-season position early on, Real have followed a path that typically leads to disappointment. Since the introduction of the round-robin format in the 2016-17 campaign, no team finishing first in the regular season has ever clinched the EuroLeague crown.

Real's encounter with this jinx dates back to the 2016-17 season. Despite losing only seven times throughout the regular season, mirroring this season's performance (one game left to play), they ultimately settled for fourth place after defeats to Fenerbahce in the semifinals and CSKA in the third-place game.

What's more, only twice has the regular-season winner even made it to the final game. Barca did it in 2020-21, and Olympiacos pulled it off last season.

The Final Four format stands accused in this regard. After 27 weeks of intense regular-season games and an intriguing best-of-five quarterfinal series, everything goes down to a single semifinal game lasting just 40 minutes.

While some argue this format fails to determine the best team, others defend it as the creme de la creme of EuroLeague competition.

However, Real should at least be okay in the playoffs. In the 24 quarterfinals series held so far, teams without home-court advantage have succeeded only four times.

Even last year, when things looked very shaky for Real, Los Blancos pulled off an insane comeback from being down 0-2 to winning the series 3-2 against Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade.

On top of that, under the new format, the team earning the first seed in the regular season has never missed the Final Four. That's a bit of reassurance.

Real Madrid / Schedule

Real Madrid Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz91-95 Zalgiris Kaunas Real MadridThu17:00

Regular-season winners in round-robin format:

Season Regular-season winner Record Series result/opponent Final Four position 2016-17 Real Madrid 23-7 3-1 vs. Darussafaka 4th 2017-18 CSKA Moscow 24-6 3-1 vs. Khimki 4th 2018-19 Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul 25-5 3-1 vs. Zalgiris 4th 2019-20 Season cancelled due to COVID-19 - - - 2020-21 FC Barcelona 24-10 3-2 vs. Zenit 2nd 2021-22 FC Barcelona 21-7 3-2 vs. Bayern 3rd 2022-23 Olympiacos Piraeus 24-10 3-2 vs. Fenerbahce 2nd

Another trend worth considering is the challenge of securing back-to-back EuroLeague titles.

Since the modern EuroLeague era started in 2000, only three teams have successfully defended the crown: Maccabi (in 2003-04 and 2004-05), Olympiacos (in 2011-12 and 2012-13), and Anadolu Efes (in 2020-21 and 2021-22).

In 23 years, the EuroLeague has seen 10 different teams winning it all.

Over this period, Real appeared in seven Final Fours and won the league three times (2015, 2018, and 2023).

But here's where it gets interesting. Despite their successes, Real have had their share of heartbreaks in the following seasons. For example, in 2015-16, when they were knocked out in the quarterfinals by Fenerbahce, and in 2018-19, when CSKA showed them the exit door in the semis.

We will see what the future has to bring for them this time.

To overcome the challenges posed by these curses, Real Madrid must rediscover their form from the start of this season. They initially began the 2023-24 EuroLeague regular season with just one loss in 17 games, boasting a perfect 10-0 record.

Although they later suffered an overtime defeat against Fenerbahce, Los Blancos still managed to set a record for the best season start since the introduction of the current EuroLeague format in the 2016-17 campaign.

Best starts to the season in EuroLeague history (since 2000):

Season Team Record at the season start 2004-05 CSKA Moscow 17-0 2014-15 CSKA Moscow 15-0 2011-12 CSKA Moscow 13-0 2013-14 Real Madrid 13-0 2006-07 Panathinaikos Athens 11-0 2009-10 FC Barcelona 11-0 2013-14 Olympiacos Piraeus 11-0

Playing nearly 100 games per season inevitably brings its share of highs and lows. Real recently experienced a concerning dip, losing three consecutive games across both the EuroLeague and ACB League fronts.

The team's EuroLeague performance may be lacking intensity, given its four-win lead over second-place teams. However, the consecutive ACB defeats could be more worrying, especially as Real are still contending for the top seed against Unicaja Malaga.

The intensity of players often correlates with the perceived importance of the game, a principle grounded in simple psychology.

Even the players themselves have acknowledged these negative signs of late.

"We need to step up our game to be competitive," Mario Hezonja said after the EuroLeague Round 33 loss against Baskonia. "We have to win games because if we go down now, all the hard work we have put in during the season will count for nothing. It's a shame what we have done.

"What do I have to do? Be happy?" he continued. "It's very bad because we all want to win. We are all winners here. It doesn't matter if we are first or if we have already qualified for the playoffs. We have to play better, play as a team like last year because if we don't, we can go home today."

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Veteran guard Sergio Llull echoed similar concerns during the recent El Clasico in Barcelona. There, the Catalans outscored the visiting team from Madrid 27-11 in the first quarter, ultimately clinching the game with an 85-79 victory.

"The way we came out is simply shameful," Llull did not hold back on Sunday.

But Real is Real. The most decorated club in European club basketball. It would be naive to think they won't elevate their game once the EuroLeague playoffs begin, particularly with Spanish legends and international stars on the roster.

Since international club competitions began in 1958, Real have won 11 continental crowns, three more than second-placed CSKA. Their triumphs span across decades, with EuroLeague victories in 1964, 1965, 1967, 1968, 1974, 1978, 1980, 1995, 2015, 2018, and 2023, supplemented by four Saporta Cups, a Korac Cup, and a EuroCup title, amounting to 17 European trophies.

Real's ability to defy the odds was evident last season, and perhaps it's time for them to script another chapter in EuroLeague history.

They have the opportunity to become the first round-robin team to clinch the EuroLeague crown from the top regular-season spot and join the ranks as the fourth squad in the modern era to achieve consecutive titles.

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