The Roca Team’s fairytale run to their first-ever Euroleague final ended in heartbreak on the night of Sunday, May 25, as Turkish powerhouse Fenerbahçe silenced Monaco with a clinical 81-70 victory in Abu Dhabi. For all Monaco’s promise and early dominance, the final turned into a lesson in experience and composure, with Fenerbahçe’s sharper edge proving decisive down the stretch.
Monaco looked like they might script history early on, leading by nine points on two occasions in the first half. But in typical fashion, Fenerbahçe absorbed the pressure, regrouped, and turned the screws in the final quarter. As Monaco faded, the Turkish side surged — led by the ice-cold Marko Guduric, who knocked down a dagger three-pointer in the dying seconds to seal the title.
For Monaco’s star guard Mike James, the night was a personal and collective struggle. Despite finishing with 17 points, he shot just 6-of-19 from the field, his usual spark dimmed by the relentless Fener defence and the weight of the moment.
The defeat means France’s Euroleague drought stretches on, with Limoges CSP — crowned champions in 1993 — still the only French club to have lifted Europe’s top basketball prize. That record, now more than three decades old, lives to see another season.
As Fenerbahçe celebrated their second Euroleague crown — their first since 2017 — Monaco were left to rue missed chances and the harsh reality of elite European basketball. They’ve taken a giant leap forward, but the final step remains tantalisingly out of reach.
