The Euroleague basketball teams have decided that the Final Four of the current season will be held at the Etihad Arena in Abu Dhabi. The decision was made by a majority of 11 teams to two; teams reported to have opposed the move were Real Madrid and Olympiakos, and among the teams that were in favor was Maccabi Tel Aviv.
This is not the first time that league's highlight event will take place outside of Europe - it was held twice in Tel Aviv (1993/94 and 2003/4), but for the first time in the league's history, the Final Four will be held in a country that does not have a representative in the Euroleague.
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The Euroleague preferred Abu Dhabi's offer over Belgrade's, after the principality offered a larger sum of money. According to the agreement, the league's management has the option to hold the Final Four in Abu Dhabi in the following two years as well. The event will take place on May 23-25, 2025.
The arena contains 18,000 seats and has managed to host a large number of sports events, including the World Swimming Championships, UFC events, boxing and also several pre-season NBA. In addition, famous bands such as Imagine Dragons and Guns N' Roses have appeared there.