EuroLeague schedule 2023-24: most interesting games to watch / News - Basketnews.com

The 2023-24 EuroLeague season starts off with a fierce rivalry. With multiple high-profile games on the calendar, basketball fans will be able to witness numerous matches that have an interesting backstory.

Credit: ABA League j.t.d./Emilija Jovanovic; Olympiacos BC; Pedja Milosavljevic/SIPA - Scanpix Credit ABA League j.t.d./Emilija Jovanovic; Olympiacos BC; Pedja Milosavljevic/SIPA - Scanpix

When do Partizan meet Crvena Zvezda, when Kostas Sloukas returns to the Piece and Friendship Stadium, and when El Clasico takes place? That's several of the most exciting questions related to the 2023-24 EuroLeague season and its schedule.

Since EuroLeague officially released the upcoming season's timetable on Tuesday, BasketNews takes a look at the most anticipated games next campaign based on the outgoing rivalries between the teams.

Crvena Zvezda vs. Partizan

Arguably the fiercest rivalry in European basketball, the eternal derby between Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade and Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade always brings tremendous excitement both on and off the court.

From extra effort on the court to an incredible atmosphere and side stories that always surround the matchups, the eternal derby delivers exactly what basketball fans are looking for in a EuroLeague game.

This year, Crvena Zvezda are transferring from Aleksandar Nikolic Hall, better known as Pionir, to play in the Stark Arena. Partizan holds the Top 10 EuroLeague attendance numbers, the club hosted more than 20,000 fans multiple times last season. Zvezda will strive to beat their opponents in this department as well.

This season, both Partizan and Crvena Zvezda brought in numerous well-known names to their rosters. Most notably, Crvena Zvezda signed Shabazz Napier while Partizan is close to an agreement with Nikola Mirotic.

Fans will not have to wait long for the first matchup between the two clubs as the first game is scheduled already in Round 5 on October 26th.

Dates:

October 26th, 2023 - Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade vs. Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade - Stark Arena - 20:30 CET January 4th, 2024 - Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet Belgrade vs. Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade - Stark Arena - 20:00 CET

Panathinaikos vs. Olympiacos

In recent years, the rivalry between Panathinaikos Athens and Olympiacos Piraeus was mostly one-sided with the red-and-whites winning the vast majority of the matchups. However, things might change this upcoming season.

After a disappointing 2022-23 season, Panathinaikos completely overhauled the roster. First, head coach Ergin Ataman arrived at the organization. Then, transfer after transfer the roster began to take shape.

Luca Vildoza, Mathias Lessort, Ioannis Papapetrou, Jerian Grant, Kyle Guy, and Dinos Mitoglou were impressive additions. However, none of them topped what was called the biggest transfer in a decade when Kostas Sloukas left Olympiacos and joined Panathinaikos.

A long-time member and leader of the Olympiacos organization leaving the club to play for the biggest rivals is a move that's going to make the derbies a must-watch spectacle.

Besides Sloukas, Olympiacos, meanwhile, also lost EuroLeague MVP Sasha Vezenkov.

The EuroLeague scheduled the first Greek derby on the very first round of the competition on October 6th to start the new year with a bang.

Dates:

October 6th, 2023 - Panathinaikos Athens vs. Olympiacos Piraeus - OAKA - 20:15 CET March 14th, 2024 - Olympiacos Piraeus vs. Panathinaikos Athens - Peace and Friendship Stadium - 20:15 CET

Barcelona vs. Real

The El Clasico has always been associated with high-quality basketball and the ever-lasting rivalry between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid. The two organizations could not arrive at the season any more different than they are this year.

Even though Barca won the Spanish Liga Endesa title, the franchise parted ways with head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius and hired Roger Grimau instead, who has no EuroLeague coaching experience.

Additionally, Barca's leader and most expensive player Nikola Mirotic left the team as well after a dispute over his role in the organization and his salary.

Real Madrid, meanwhile, enter the season with a stable core of players. At the same time, Facundo Campazzo is on the verge of joining the organization.

The first El Clasico of the season is scheduled in the middle of the year with the second matchup coming in later.

Dates:

October 26th, 2023 - Real Madrid vs. FC Barcelona - WiZink Center - 20:45 CET January 3rd, 2024 - FC Barcelona vs. Real Madrid - Palau Blaugrana - 20:30 CET

Maccabi vs. Monaco

Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv and AS Monaco were seemingly unrelated teams last year. Until they met in the playoffs.

The series between the two teams featured multiple stories both on and off the court, with Monaco players later saying that it was the craziest thing they had ever witnessed.

Maccabi fans made rounds on social media by traveling to Monaco in bunches for the first two games of the series. When their favorite club came back home with the series tied 1-1, they welcomed the visiting players by trying to interrupt their matchday routine as much as possible.

They stopped the Monaco bus, they interrupted the players when they were entering the Menora Mivtachim Arena in Tel Aviv, they had special chants for the opponents, they even greeted Mike James in a special way both in away games and at home.

After Games 3 and 4, extra measures were taken by the Monegasque authorities to ensure safety in Game 5 in Salle Gaston Medecin. The home team won the series 3-2.Wade Baldwin IVlater admitted that the Game 5 loss was the most difficult moment in the season.

The games between Maccabi and Monaco will undoubtedly bring the newly-formed rivalry back. The first game between the two teams is scheduled for October.

Dates:

October 26th, 2023 - AS Monaco vs. Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv - Salle Gaston Medecin - 20:00 CET January 2nd, 2024 - Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv vs. AS Monaco - Menora Mivtachim Arena - 20:05 CET

Panathinaikos vs. Fenerbahce

After a seismic offseason, Panathinaikos Athens are arguably one of the most exciting teams to watch entering the 2022-23 season. Most recently, a free agency move sparked controversy between the green-and-whites and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul.

With a new head coach Ergin Ataman under the helm, Panathinaikos signed a whole bunch of new players for the upcoming season, including Luca Vildoza, Mathias Lessort, Jerian Grant, Ioannis Papapetrou, and others.

However, none of the transfers was bigger than Kostas Sloukas' arrival at the green camp straight from Olympiacos Piraeus. On top of that, Georgios Papagiannis left the club to go to Fenerbahce in a move that wasn't well-received in the Panathinaikos organization.

PAO owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos came out with a fiery statement while the franchise announced that they were cutting all ties with Papagiannis' agent.

Papagiannis' comeback to OAKA will be a thing to watch, while his game against the renewed PAO in Istanbul will draw extra attention as well.

Dates:

October 17th, 2023 - Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. Panathinaikos Athens - Ulker Sports and Event Hall - 19:15 CET February 9th, 2024 - Panathinaikos Athens vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul - OAKA - 20:15 CET

Anadolu Efes vs. Fenerbahce

Last but not least - the Istanbul derby. It might not have the historic precedent that the other rivalries have but it's always a spectacle when Anadolu Efes Istanbul and Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul meet.

Efes' offseason was different from all others in recent years. Vasilije Micic left the team to go to the NBA, head coach Ergin Ataman departed to Greece, the organization parted ways with multiple players from the last season.

EuroCup's 2023 Coach of the Year Erdem Can took over the helm, while several new faces with little to no EuroLeague experience arrive at the club.

Fenerbahce, meanwhile, signed former Efes big man Sertac Sanli and added Georgios Papagiannis in a controversial move.

The teams are different but the rivalry between the two biggest Turkish clubs still remains. The first meeting between the two clubs is scheduled for December.

Dates:

December 28th, 2023 - Anadolu Efes Istanbul vs. Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul - Sinan Erdem Dome - 19:30 CET April 5th, 2024 - Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul vs. Anadolu Efes Istanbul - Ulker Sports and Event Hall - 19:45 CET Thank you for reading us! Help us even more.