Cedevita Olimpija hosts stars of Euroleague in Tivoli Sports Hall

The European basketball world will closely follow a strong and attractive international tournament on Friday and Saturday, which will take place at Hala Tivoli, where Cedevita Olimpija will host Panathinaikos, Anadolu Efes, and Bayern Basketball.

Cedevita Olimpija is approaching the highlight of this year’s preparation period. After five consecutive wins in their preparations, the team, led by head coach Zvezdan Mitrović, faces two challenges against teams that have been regular participants in the elite EuroLeague for years. Panathinaikos, Anadolu Efes, and Bayern Basketball are coming to Ljubljana for the tournament, which is part of the Ljubljana Sports Festival, and it will be the strongest on the continent during this summer period.

Both semifinals will take place on Friday, and on Saturday, the third-place match and the final will follow. In the first semifinal, scheduled for Friday at 18.00, Cedevita Olimpija will face the reigning EuroLeague champion, Panathinaikos. The second semifinal, at 20.30, will feature Anadolu Efes and Bayern Basketball. On Saturday, September 7, both placement matches will be played, with the first starting at 16.00 and the second at 18.30. Regardless of the result of the game between Anadolu Efes and Bayern Basketball, Anadolu Efes will take the court at 16.00 on Saturday.

“We are growing day by day. It’s good that we gathered early so the players can get to know each other and understand the coach’s way of working. I think we are on the right path. We’ve already played a few preparatory games where we showed both good and bad things. Ahead of us is a strong tournament in Tivoli, where we will see what state we are currently in. The atmosphere within the team is great. All the guys are positive and enjoy training, which is important, so I can genuinely commend everyone,” said the captain of the Dragons, Jaka Blažič, before the start of the tournament at the Temple of Slovenian Basketball. “Tivoli has its charm, after all, it used to host EuroLeague games. We are looking forward to the tournament. We know that the EuroLeague teams haven’t had much training since they mostly gathered last week. They surely won’t be in the same rhythm as they will be during the season. This is an extra opportunity for us to showcase ourselves and take away positive things from the tournament.”

Derek Ogbeide missed the last preparatory game before the tournament in Ljubljana due to recovering from an ankle injury. However, he has already rejoined training this week.

“The ankle is fine, warmed up, and ready. I’ve had several training sessions and exercises to heal the injury, which luckily wasn’t severe from the start. The team looks good. I’m excited about what’s coming next. I know we are a good unit that works well together, and we already have good chemistry. Putting everything together will be fun to watch. I can’t wait to see what the season will bring,” Ogbeide said, also sharing his thoughts on the tournament at the Tivoli arena. “We have a strong tournament ahead of us at Tivoli. We are ready and eager for the challenges against strong teams. We will undoubtedly focus even more on our tasks in the future.”

All season ticket holders for the 2024/25 season will have free entry to all tournament games. For more information about tickets, you can contact tickets@cedevita.olimpija.com. All fans attending the tournament are asked to follow the instructions on the ticket, maintain order and discipline when selecting seats in the arena. Tickets for the tournament are still available at tickets.olimpija.com. In Slovenia, the tournament will be broadcast live on Kanal A and VOYO. Parking at Tivoli II will be closed during the tournament due to events at the Ljubljana Sports Festival, and parking will not be possible. On Friday and Saturday, Tivoli I parking will be open until full capacity. In line with our sustainability project, Green Five, we encourage all fans to travel to Tivoli on foot, by public transport, by bike, BicikeLj, or scooter. All attendees of the Ljubljana Sports Festival can use Ljubljana public transport buses for free by presenting accreditation, which you can find at THIS LINK.

EUROLEAGUE STARS ON THE TIVOLI COURT (Hala Tivoli; September 6 and 7, 2024)

SEMIFINAL 1

Friday, September 6, at 18.00:
CEDEVITA OLIMPIJA – PANATHINAIKOS AKTOR

SEMIFINAL 2

Friday, September 6, at 20.30:
ANADOLU EFES – BAYERN BASKETBALL

*The placement games will take place on Saturday, September 7, 2024, at 16.00 and 18.30.