Ángel Resa / Cristián Ramón Cobos
Madrid
Friday, 5 September 2025, 14:12
Spain’s reign as European champions ended on Thursday night with a 90-85 defeat to Greece that sealed their early elimination from Eurobasket 2025.
The result marks the first time the national team have failed to progress from the group stage and confirms the departure of head coach Sergio Scariolo, who is set to join Real Madrid.
Spain began poorly, trailing 30-14 after eight minutes as Giannis Antetokounmpo dominated the early exchanges. Although the young duo of Juan Núñez and Mario Saint-Supéry sparked a second-half fightback, Spain faltered once again in the closing stages.
Missed free throws proved costly, with Juancho Hernangómez failing to convert three in a row, as Greece held on to win.
The decisive blow, however, came earlier in the week. An opening defeat to Georgia left Spain needing to beat both Italy and Greece to advance. Losses in both games meant they finished fifth in their group, ahead only of Cyprus, and fell short of the knockout rounds.
Scariolo bows out
Scariolo confirmed after the match that his cycle with Spain had ended. “I feel at peace with my conscience because I gave everything I had,” he told reporters.
“The sport always puts you in your place and we made mistakes, but I am proud of how the team competed. The future is bright and I hope the next generation achieves success.”
The Italian coach departs as the most decorated manager in Spanish basketball history. Since his debut in 2009, he has overseen two separate spells, guiding the national team to four Eurobasket titles, the 2019 World Cup and two Olympic medals.
Scariolo during the game.
EFE
In total, he managed 222 games with Spain, winning eight medals in 10 major tournaments.
A changing of the guard
Despite the disappointment, the tournament offered glimpses of the future. Saint-Supéry and Núñez both impressed, while Jaime Pradilla and Xabi López-Aróstegui provided valuable contributions. Scariolo himself stressed that the team’s identity would endure beyond individual players.
The Spanish Basketball Federation paid tribute on social media, calling his tenure “a magical and unique cycle”.
His successor has not yet been named, though Pablo Laso has been linked to the post.
Spain now turn their attention to rebuilding, as Scariolo closes a historic chapter in their basketball story.