Mercedes-Benz Arena BerlinWe are just about getting ready to enjoy the 2015 Euroleague Final Four event in Madrid this week, but if you are the sort of person that likes to look ahead, there is a lot to be pleased about. This is because it has been announced that the leading European club basketball event for 2016 will be staged in Berlin, which is definitely brilliant news for basketball fans. Berlin is a city with tremendous history, but it is a city with great atmosphere and it is a city that is very easy to get around in. No matter what sort of criteria you have in mind for a host city of such an important sporting spectacle, you can rest assured that Berlin is a brilliant city! It even has a museum dedicated to the US punk group The Ramones so if you were wondering if Berlin had it all, it really does!

The 2016 Euroleague Final Four will take place between the 12th of May and the 15th of May in 2016 in the biggest city in Germany. The Final Four was held in Berlin back in 2009 and it was deemed to be a massive success. There is also a lot to be said for the passion and excitement that Berlin basketball fans have shown to the Euroleague and it is likely that this host city will be buzzing for the main event.

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Berlin loves basketball

Jordi Bertomeu is the CEO and President of Euroleague Basketball and he was speaking at a press conference in Berlin on Monday the 11th of May, 2015. Bertomeu said;

I am glad to announce that the 2016 Final Four will be back in Berlin, again in collaboration with AEG, as was also the case in Paris and London. The Mercedes-Benz Arena is one of the best arenas in Europe, if not the best, and the city of Berlin is a very sexy destination for our fans. In 2009, we had an excellent event that marked a jump in the quality of the Final Four, and I am sure 2016 will mean another jump. I want to thank AEG and ALBA Berlin for their efforts in making this announcement possible. See you all in May 2016!

The Mercedes-Benz Arena in Berlin has been open since autumn 2008 and it has played host to ALBA Berlin as well as Eisbären Berlin, an ice hockey team. Later on this year the venue will host Group B games at the EuroBasket 2015 event. The arena has welcomed a huge array of musical groups and for basketball games, the capacity is 16,000.

ALBA Berlin will want to be involved with the 2016 Euroleague Final Four

Michael Hapka is the Managing Director of AEG Operations and he said;

We are very proud that the Turkish Airlines Final Four returns to Berlin in 2016. The Final Four 2009 in Berlin was a great and successful experience. So we are excited to again provide the stage for Europe’s most prominent basketball event. It also continues the successful partnership between Euroleague Basketball and AEG. After 2009 in Berlin, 2010 in Paris, and 2013 in London, it is the fourth time that the Final Four will be held at an AEG venue.

Marco Baldi is the CEO of ALBA Berlin, and there will be some pressure on the German side to book their place in an event that is taking place in their home town. Marco said;

The Euroleague Final Four is the most prestigious and first-class club event in European basketball, and the fact that Berlin again is the venue, after having been so in 2009, demonstrates the confidence that the Euroleague has in German basketball and Berlin as a basketball capital. European competition is an important part of our identity. ALBA is one of a few clubs that have been playing in European competitions for 25 years in a row. For ALBA and for the Beko BBL it is a great motivation to have the Final Four in Berlin to stay among the basketball elite.