Everything You Need to Know About the Upcoming EuroBasket
EuroBasket 2025, the 42nd European Basketball Championship for men, will be held from August 27 to September 14, 2025. Four countries host the tournament. The group stage will take place in Poland (Katowice), Finland (Tampere), and Cyprus (Limassol). The knockout phase, semifinals, and final will be held in Riga (Latvia).
The Serbian national basketball team will compete in Group A, against Latvia, Czechia, Turkey, Estonia, and Portugal. The Eagles will play their group stage matches according to the following schedule:
1. Round 1: Serbia – Estonia (August 27, 20:15)
2. Round 2: Serbia – Portugal (August 29, 20:15)
3. Round 3: Serbia – Latvia (August 30, 17:00)
4. Round 4: Serbia – Czechia (September 1, 20:15)
5. Round 5: Serbia – Turkey (September 3, 20:15)
Serbia a Big Favorite This Year
A FIBA poll of accredited media showed that Serbia is the overwhelming favorite at EuroBasket 2025. Over 70% of respondents believe that Serbia will win gold, and more than 90% are convinced that the team will at least win a medal.
Serbia’s extended roster includes: Aleksa Avramović, Stefan Jović, Vasilije Micić, Bogdan Bogdanović, Marko Gudurić, Nikola Topić, Ognjen Dobrić, Vanja Marinković, Dejan Davidovac, Nikola Jović, Filip Petrušev, Nikola Jokić, Nikola Milutinov, Tristan Vukčević, Balša Koprivica, and Alen Smailagić. According to 72% of journalists, Nikola Jokić will be the MVP of EuroBasket 2025.
The Significance of EuroBasket for Serbian Players
EuroBasket is more than just a competition—it is a chance for players to inscribe their names in the history of Serbian basketball. Among the ten all-time top Serbian scorers at EuroBasket are legends such as Radivoj Korać, Dražen Dalipagić, Predrag Danilović, and Dejan Bodiroga. Among active players, only Bogdan Bogdanović is on that list. If he performs as expected, Bogdan could break into the top five Serbian scorers in EuroBasket history.
Still, the main motivation at this tournament is collective: since competing under the name “Serbia,” the national team has never won a gold medal.
How Have We Performed in Recent Years?
Serbia has a rich tradition at European Championships, although recent results have been mixed. As an independent country, Serbia has reached the final twice—2009 in Poland and 2017 in Istanbul—winning silver on both occasions.
The most painful loss for fans came in the 2017 final against Slovenia, when Serbia seemed poised for gold but was stopped in the closing minutes. At EuroBasket 2013 in Slovenia, Serbia reached the quarterfinals, while at EuroBasket 2015 in France the team finished in fifth place.
The last appearance, EuroBasket 2022, was a disappointment as the Eagles were eliminated in the round of 16 by Italy, finishing only ninth. These results show that while Serbia is always among the favorites, medals are never guaranteed. From one tournament to another, more and more national teams become serious contenders.
The Heartbreaking Defeat in the Final Minutes of 2017
At EuroBasket 2017 in Istanbul, Serbia had a golden opportunity. In the final against Slovenia, with just over three minutes left, Serbia led 82:80 and looked ready to seal the win. But Slovenia responded with a 12:0 run, turning the game around and securing a historic victory in the final minutes.
The key player was Goran Dragić, who delivered the game of his career—scoring 35 points on 12-of-22 shooting. It was the best individual performance in a EuroBasket final since Pau Gasol in 2003. Dragić averaged 22.6 points for the tournament and deservedly won the MVP title of EuroBasket 2017.
For Serbia, the pain was real—the gold slipped away—but there was also pride in reaching the final despite numerous injuries and absences of key players.
Obradović Sends a Message: “We Are a Basketball Nation”
Partizan coach Željko Obradović, who exactly 30 years ago as assistant coach to Dušan Ivković helped Serbia win European gold, told Sportal:
“Let them just prepare well, keep the team spirit, and the results will come. After all, we are a basketball nation.”
Back then, competing as FR Yugoslavia, the team returned to the international stage after sanctions and immediately won gold. Dušan “Duda” Ivković was head coach, and a young Željko Obradović served as assistant. The roster featured legends like Aleksandar “Saša” Đorđević, Predrag Danilović, Vlade Divac, and Željko Rebrača.
The final was played in 1995 against Lithuania, with Yugoslavia winning 96:90. Aleksandar Đorđević scored 41 points and single-handedly decided the game. It remains one of the most legendary finals in European basketball history and a symbolic turning point for the Serbian team, proving the squad was still a world-class force even after years of isolation.
The Team Relies on Fan Support
Head coach Svetislav Pešić stressed the importance of fan support before a friendly game with Slovenia:
“We have no right to euphoria. We work quietly, without press conferences—not because we dislike you, but because we need silence to focus on our tasks and goals. I am glad there will be fans and that they will support us.”
And that support seems justified: Serbia demolished Slovenia in the last preparation match (106:72), registering their seventh win and entering EuroBasket with a perfect record.
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