Abu Dhabi will host the final four of the EuroLeague basketball’s 2024-25 season in May, the continental competition said on Tuesday.
Spanish outlet El Pais reported that Abu Dhabi paid $25 million to outbid other contenders and secure the rights to host the culmination of the competition’s 25th season.
EuroLeague said it has signed an agreement with Abu Dhabi’s Department of Cultural Tourism and the 12,000-seater Etihad Arena to host the semi-finals on May 23, followed by the third-place match and the final on May 25, in the UAE capital.
“I would like to thank the city of Abu Dhabi for showing their confidence in EuroLeague basketball,” EuroLeague president Dejan Bodiroga said in a statement.
Abu Dhabi will be the second city outside Europe to host the final of the top-tier basketball event, after Israel’s Tel Aviv held the marquee fixture in 1972, 1994 and 2004.
