Over the last few seasons, FC Bayern Munich emerged as a continental force in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague. It made back-to-back playoff appearances in 2021 and 2022 and took its respective series against AX Armani Exchange Milan and FC Barcelona the maximum five games. In fact, in the first of those it came within a shot of the Final Four.
To get to the next level, Bayern general manager Marko Pesic turned to a man who has taken on this sort of project before and found the ultimate success: Pablo Laso. The last time we saw Laso on the sidelines, he was the maestro leading Real Madrid to a golden age that included seven EuroLeague Final Four appearances, two continental crowns, six Spanish championships and six Spanish Cups in 11 seasons. That run came to an end after a health scare in June 2022, but Laso, 55, is ready to take on the challenge in Munich.
There are similarities between the project he is inheriting now and the state of Real Madrid when he first arrived in 2011. Both are teams that had been in the shadows of their sister football clubs, but showed promise under well-respected Italian coaches. While Andrea Trinchieri oversaw Bayern's recent three-year run, Ettore Messina guided Real in the seasons before Laso was hired.
