For the first time since… 1937, and the coronation of Lithuania at the second European championship in history, the continental crown will be disputed in Riga in 2025. During a congress on Tuesday, FIBA Europe has confirmed that Latvia will be the host country of the final phase of EuroBasket 2025, in addition to a group.
The Baltic nation is one of FIBA’s privileged partners: over the past fifteen years, twelve FIBA competitions have taken place in Riga, the capital with an 11,000-seat arena. In 2018, Filip Petrusev and Serbia were crowned European junior champions there, while the French team failed in the final of the U19 World Cup last summer. Latvia also hosted a group stage of EuroBasket 2015.
Arena Riga during the final of the 2018 European U18 Championship
(photo : FIBA Europe)
Alongside Latvia, Finland and Cyprus will also host a group stage of this 2025 European Championship. Taking advantage of the withdrawal of the Hungarian candidacy and the exclusion of Russia, the Mediterranean island will experience a great first while the flamboyant Hartwall Arena in Helsinki had already been put to use in 2017.
Exclusive discussions with Ukraine until November 2022
Finally, ten years after the organization of EuroBasket 2015 was withdrawn for political reasons, Ukraine hoped to welcome a group from the 2025 edition. A candidacy obviously on hold since the Russian invasion but which does not is not ruled out by FIBA… “After taking into consideration the difficult circumstances and the challenges faced by the country, and as a sign of solidarity with the federation and the Ukrainian basketball community, we have decided to continue exclusive discussions to hosting the 4th group until November 2022,” FIBA said. In September 2021, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky notably spoke with the boss of FIBA Europe, Turgay Demirel, to assure him that his state would do everything possible to meet the requirements imposed by the organization of such an event. .
As a reminder, Cologne, Tbilisi, Milan and Prague will host the four pools of the 2022 European Championship, while the final phase will take place in Berlin.
