The Euroleague calendar has been released See how the moves of summer have redesigned the title race

== sync, corrected by elderman == @elder_man

Twenty teams, 38 rounds in the regular season and a kickoff scheduled for September 24th. Euroleague has released the calendar and with it the full map of a race that begins with the champion defending his crown away from home and ends as always with questions July can't answer.

The starting point: champion on the road, wildcard in Istanbul

Olympiacos, current champions, open the season away from home against Baskonia. The next night Besiktas make their debut at home by hosting Valencia.

What the July market said and what it could not say

At the time of NEO on 30 July, Olympiacos were leading the title race at 17/5, followed by Panathinaikos at 4/1, with Fenerbahce and Real Madrid both at 15/2.

A contextual caveat is worthwhile: the same price appearing on different interfaces isn't necessarily an independent vote of confidence. The useful question is whether the number reflects the cast, coach and path in the playoffs not the showcase where it appears.

Olympiacos: Can the champion hold on to the line?

Olympiacos conquered the favourites status with merit, beating Real Madrid 92-85 in Athens to secure their fourth European title and first since.2013 Sasha Vezenkov was MVP of the regular season, Evan Fournier took the final four's MVP , and Olympias became the first regular-season leader in the current league format to complete the service.

The summer was not a simple preservation exercise.The backbone of the title remains, but Jean Montero arrives after winning the MVP award from the 2012 Playoffs2026 with Valencia, while Codi Miller-McIntyre adds another creator: Alec Peters, Shaquielle McKissic and Frank Ntilikina left RAM .

This makes 17/5 defensible, but not cheap. Olympiacos now have more invention with the ball in their hands, but need to integrate new defenders without losing the defensive clarity that carried the team until May. matchday 13, when Real Madrid visit Piraeus on November 20, will show whether the champions evolved or just changed.

Panathinaikos : the rival has reloaded

Panathinaikos isn't bringing back the same team that lost a playoff series in five games to Valencia.

Brancou Badio, Moustapha Fall and Sylvain Francisco made it to the roster while Juancho Hernangomez extended his contract until.NBA This is not continuity at the edges.

The 4/1 price reflects both talent and expectation. Panathinaikos won the title in 2024, reached the Final Four of 2025 and then saw Olympiacos win the crown of 2026 at their own arena, already with Greens eliminated.

The first Greek derby arrives at matchday 16, on December 11th, by which time the market should know if Panathinaikos has assembled Europe's deepest roster or just its busiest.

Real Madrid and Fenerbahce: established powers in transition

Real Madrid and Fenerbahce share the 15/2 price, but their uncertainties are different.

Madrid's summer still revolves around Mario Hezonja .[citation needed] Their move proposal to the NBA was complicated by an exit clause dispute, so it is premature to treat their departure as completed. Real have added Mikael Jantunen and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot and signed Pedro Martinez while other additions on the perimeter remain under discussion. The club lost the last two finals of Euroleague that they played in,2024 and 2026, but their competitive floor remains high.

Fenerbahce chose the volume. The champion of 2025 added Shane Larkin , Will Clyburn, Johnny Juzang, Braxton Key, Trent Forrest and Marcus Bingham Jr. This is serious pitch creation and depth but also a great redistribution of touches.

The unfortunates and the Monaco-shaped hole

Partizan rebuilt themselves with Alessandro Pajola, Luca Vildoza, Derek Willis, Nikola Tanaskovic, Lamar Stevens and Kevarrius Hayes. It is a squad designed to survive 38 rounds, not just create excitement on opening night. The first Serbian derby against Crvena Zvezda arrives at matchday 7, on 22 October.

Valencia need to prove that their first Final Four was sustainable after losing Montero, but TJ Shorts and Dylan Osetkowski provide a credible new foundation.

What that means for the fans

The top four deserve their spot, but this is not a four-team competition. The calendar provides the skeleton; the transfer market is still adding muscle. Euroleague titles are not won by July's most impressive roster. They are won when roles harden, confrontations narrow and a cast still makes sense in April and May.

The season starts on September 24th, and until then every matchday in the calendar will be a test for summer bets and numbers that tried to sum them up before the ball went up.