With the Turkish champs on the ground, the Final Four is set
Fenerbahce receives joyous welcome to Abu Dhabi
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With the arrival of Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul to Abu Dhabi, the lineup for the 2025 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four is complete. The Turkish champs joined Olympiacos Piraeus, AS Monaco, and their semifinals opponents Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, all of whom arrived on Tuesday.
Like for the first three teams, the locals rolled out the proverbial red carpet for their guests with the Al-Ayyala, a traditional Emirati cultural performance. Members of the Mubarak Al Atiba Group, complete with singers, drummers and two falcons with their handlers, performed the ritual.
Fenerbahce's big men in particular seemed intrigued by the welcome with Jilson Bango and Khem Birch among those who pulled out their phones to record the moment, while Nicolo Melli accepted the traditional Arab coffee that was poured for him.
The falcons were a big draw for some with Wade Baldwin, Bonzie Colson and head coach Sarunas Jasikevicius all stopping to hold the birds.
Originally a ceremony used to welcome victorious warriors home from battle, today the Al-Ayyala is often performed to greet honored guests, such as the teams coming to Abu Dhabi to compete for the EuroLeague crown.
And with Fenerbahce now on the ground, the focus in Abu Dhabi is about to switch to basketball. The first official event of the Final Four, the Opening Press Conference, will take place on Thursday morning. And the semifinals are less than 48 hours away!