Fenerbahce head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius reflected on his long-awaited first EuroLeague title and the journey it took to reach the top.
Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul ended an eight-year wait for EuroLeague glory, clinching the second title in the club’s history.
| Player of the Game | |
|
EFF
30
|
| Nigel Hayes-Davis | |
| Points | 23 |
| Accuracy | 4-13 |
| Rebounds | 9 |
| Assists | 1 |
For head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius, the wait had been even longer. His last EuroLeague championship came as a player in 2009.
Now, after years of knocking on the door as a coach, Jasikevicius finally broke through - securing his first title on the sidelines after five previous Final Four appearances ended in disappointment.
"Obviously, I got a big monkey off my back," he said. "After being so close for so many years - consistently reaching this level but not getting over the hump—it was tough."
Despite the different vantage point, the joy of winning remains unchanged for the Lithuanian legend.
"I can’t win titles as a player anymore. Like Billy [Vassilis Spanoulis] said earlier, I wish I had the ball in my hands this weekend—but I’m on the sidelines now," he admitted with a smile.
"It’s hard to compare the two, but being a champion—whatever your role—is the greatest feeling in the world."
Reflecting on the road to this moment, Jasikevicius acknowledged the unique pressures that followed him throughout his coaching career.
"Sometimes it felt a little unfair. People weren’t asking if I would win—just when. As if it were inevitable. But winning the EuroLeague is incredibly difficult," he explained.
"Players matter most, and yes, coaches take the blame when things go wrong. But the expectations for me were always sky-high, and that pressure was very real."
Jasikevicius also spoke candidly about his relationship with Final Four MVP Nigel Hayes-Davis, who played a crucial role in the title run.
"Yeah, when I arrived in Istanbul, we had to clear the air. Nigel wasn’t happy with how things ended in Barcelona, and we spoke the very night I got here. It wasn’t a pleasant talk—but it was honest. I respected what he had to say," Saras revealed.
"In terms of basketball, I don’t think his role changed much from Dimitris [Itoudis] to me. But what people didn’t see was how much he was dealing with physically. There were practices where he couldn’t go 100%, but he stayed patient—especially in the semifinal. That showed real maturity."
"With his work ethic, he’s become one of the most important players in European basketball. And now, he’s a EuroLeague champion. He earned it."
One of the most emotional moments came at the final buzzer, when Jasikevicius embraced Nicolo Melli - a player who, as the coach emphasized, contributed in countless ways beyond the stat sheet.
"He was absolutely vital. We always wanted a guy who could cover both the four and five, and Nico fit that perfectly."
"I remember our phone call before he signed. He told me, 'Coach, I don’t care about the system or my role. I just want to win the EuroLeague.' That’s all he said. And today I told him: 'You came here for this. Congratulations, my friend.'"
Jasikevicius became just the fourth person in history to win the EuroLeague both as a player and a head coach—a milestone others may celebrate more than he does.
"Honestly, that’s more for the media than for me," he said.
"I’m here to win titles. The records and the history, that’s all great—but for me, it’s about the team, the work, and the championship."
He did, however, take a moment to credit the man behind the scenes who helped make it all possible.
"I’m incredibly grateful to be part of Fenerbahce. When I first spoke with Derya [Yannier, General Manager], he laid out a clear vision for how we’d work together. Every word he said came true."
"I’m 100% here because of him. It’s an honor to work with the best GM in European basketball."
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