Members of the U18 Real Madrid team very well may have looked themselves in the mirror after Anadolu Efes Istanbul claimed its much-anticipated 2021 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague crown and said: "Now it’s our turn."

Real finishes unfinished business with ANGT title

Just like Efes, which saw the COVID-19 pandemic cancel the remainder of a 2019-20 EuroLeague campaign it expected to win, Real’s future talents were left a void after not getting an opportunity to defend their Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament title last season despite being a favorite.

The 2021 ANGT Finals in Valencia gave Real the chance to finally get some closure and finish the unfinished business from last season. And the Spanish powerhouse ended up doing just that, outlasting archrival U18 FC Barcelona 81-78 in overtime of the 2021 ANGT Championship Game to claim the club’s third U18 continental crown.

"Before the game, we talked about how for the whole year we had been fighting and working together and we wanted to win so bad," said Real guard Urban Klavzar, who contributed 16 points and 4 rebounds in the win over Barcelona.

After surviving the battle with Barcelona, Klavzar raced around the court and then knelt on the court and banged his hands on the court, before getting up to celebrate with his teammates. It was similar to the relief that Efes expressed in Cologne after downing FC Barcelona to win the EuroLeague crown.

Klavzar had a huge release of relief after finally getting the crown: "Our goal was to win this. It feels incredible," he added.

Klavzar was one of seven players on the 2021 ANGT Finals team who took first place at the ANGT Munich in 2019-20 with a comfortable 16-point win in the last game to qualify for the ANGT Finals for a seventh straight year. The others were Sediq Garuba, Konstantin Kostadinov, Eli Ndiaye, Juan Nunez, Matteo Spagnolo and Tristan Vukcevic. Nunez and Vukcevic were not on hand for the end of the ANGT Finals as both were with Real’s senior team. Vukcevic did not play at the ANGT Istanbul for the same reason. Owen Aquino was on hand at both of the last two qualifiers, but missed the ANGT Finals

"We worked all year just for this," added Spagnolo, who was the only member of the Real team that won the 2019 ANGT title in Vitoria-Gasteiz and played in Valencia.

Spagnolo was hampered in this season’s finals and only played in the championship game, where he tallied 8 points, 5 rebounds and 3 assists. It was Spagnolo's third appearance in the title bout; he also played for U18 Stellazzurra Rome in the 2018 ANGT Championship Game, a loss to U18 Rytas Vilnius.

The playmaker also became just the 10th player to win two ANGT trophies. Anatoly Kashirov, Vasily Zavourev, Artur Urazmanov and Iliya Astafiev all won the crowns for U18 CSKA Moscow in 2004 and 2005 and Iliya Gusev was part of CSKA’s winning teams in 2005 and 2006. Besides the CSKA three-peat, the only other club to win back-to-back ANGT trophies was U18 FMP Belgrade in 2008 and 2009. The quartet of Dejan Musli, Branislav Djekic, Aleksandar Ponjavic and Nikola Vukasovic was part of both winning sides.

It shouldn’t be a surprise that Real is considered a favorite to win the title again in 2022 considering that Klavzar is one of nine players born in 2004 or later, including the MVP Ndiaye, Nunez and Garuba, while Jan Vide was born in 2005 and Amadou Traore was in 2007.

With its unfinished business now finished, Real can start thinking about matching CSKA with a historic three-peat.

urban-klavzar-u18-real-madrid-angt-finals-valencia-2021-jt20.jpg

Check out all the champions and MVPs of the Euroleague Basketball U18 Tournament over the 19 years in which it has become the greatest gathering of young basketball talent in the world!

Euroleague Basketball U18 Tournament champions (2003 - 2021)

[2021 - Valencia, Spain](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/?round=Game%204&season=2020-21%20VALENCIA%20FINALS&team=All%20teams)

U18 Real Madrid **81 - 78** U18 FC Barcelona

*Finals MVP: Eli Ndiaye, Real Madrid*

[2019 - Vitoria-Gasteiz, Spain](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/?round=Game%204&season=2018-19%20VITORIA-GASTEIZ%20FINALS&team=All%20teams)

U18 Mega Bemax Belgrade **76 - 95** U18 Real Madrid

*Finals MVP: Mario Nakic, Real Madrid*

[2018 - Belgrade, Serbia](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/?round=Game%204&season=2017-18%20BELGRADE%20Finals&team=All%20teams)

U18 Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius **76 - 71** U18 Stellazzurra Rome

*Finals MVP: Deividas Sirvydis, Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius*

[2017 - Istanbul, Turkey](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/?round=Game%204&season=2016-17%20ISTANBUL&team=All%20teams)

U18 CFBB Paris **65 - 58** U18 Mega Bemax Belgrade

*Finals MVP: Ivan Fevrier, CFBB Paris*

[2016 - Berlin, Germany](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/?round=Game%204&season=2015-16%20BERLIN&team=All%20teams)

U18 FC Barcelona Lassa **90 - 82** U18 Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade

*Finals MVP: Borisa Simanic, Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade*

[2015 - Madrid, Spain](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/?season=2014-15&team=All%20teams)

U18 Real Madrid **73 - 70** U18 Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade

*Finals MVP: Luka Doncic, Real Madrid*

[2014 - Milan, Italy](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/?season=2013-14&team=All%20teams)

U18 Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade **55 - 42** U18 Real Madrid

*Finals MVP: Vojislav Stojanovic, Crvena Zvezda Telekom Belgrade*

[2013 - London, United Kingdom](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/?season=2012-13&team=All%20teams)

U18 Club Joventut Badalona **82 - 59** U18 FC Barcelona Regal

*Finals MVP: Agustí Sans, Club Joventut Badalona*

[2012 - Istanbul, Turkey](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/?season=2011-12&team=All%20teams)

U18 Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius **88 - 70** U18 Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul

*Finals MVP: James Metecan Birsen, Fenerbahce Ulker Istanbul*

[2011 - Barcelona, Spain](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/?season=2010-11&team=All%20teams)

U18 KK Zagreb **76 - 65** U18 Zalgiris Kaunas

*Finals MVP: Dario Saric, KK Zagreb*

[2010 - Paris, France](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/?season=2009-10&team=All%20teams)

U18 FMP Belgrade **73 - 83** U18 INSEP Paris

*Finals MVP: Livio Jean-Charles, INSEP Paris*

[2009 - Berlin, Germany](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/?season=2008-09&team=All%20teams)

U18 Lietuvos Rytas Vilnius **110 - 123** U18 FMP Belgrade

*Finals MVP: Dejan Musli, FMP Belgrade*

[2008 - Madrid, Spain](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/?season=2007-08&team=All%20teams)

U18 AXA FC Barcelona **70 - 80** U18 FMP Belgrade

*Finals MVP: Dejan Musli, FMP Belgrade*

[2007 - Athens, Greece](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/?round=Game%204&season=2006-07&team=All%20teams)

U18 FMP Belgrade **74 - 78** U18 Zalgiris Kaunas

*Finals MVP: Donatas Motiejunas, Zalgiris Kaunas*

[2006 - Prague, Czech Republic](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/?round=Game%204&season=2005-06&team=All%20teams)

U18 CSKA Moscow **59 - 55** U18 Zalgiris Kaunas

*Finals MVP: Ivan Nelyubov, CSKA Moscow*

[2005 - Moscow, Russian Federation](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/?round=Game%204&season=2004-05&team=All%20teams)

U18 CSKA Moscow **97 - 64** U18 Zalgiris Kaunas

*Finals MVP: Vasily Zavourev, CSKA Moscow*

[2004 - Tel Aviv, Israel](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/?round=Game%204&season=2003-04&team=All%20teams)
U18 Montepaschi Siena **62 - 90** U18 CSKA Moscow

*Finals MVP: Vasily Zavourev, CSKA Moscow*

[2003 - Barcelona, Spain](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/ngt/game-center/?round=Game%204&season=2002-03&team=All%20teams)

U18 Zalgiris Kaunas **87 - 80** U18 Maccabi Tel Aviv

*Finals MVP: Rolandas Alijevas, Zalgiris Kaunas*

### Real outlasts Barcelona in OT thriller for 3rd ANGT title

U18 Real Madrid captured its third title at the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament when it prevailed in an 81-78 overtime thriller against Spanish archrival U18 FC Barcelona in the 2021 ANGT Championship Game. Konstantin Kostadinov led the way with 18 points and 12 rebounds while MVP Eli Ndiaye collected 17 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals in 44:47 minutes played. Urban Klavzar chipped in 16 points and Sediq Garuba tallied 13 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals and 2 blocks in the victory. Real pulled even with U18 CSKA Moscow for a record three ANGT crowns following triumphs in 2015 and 2019. Real also became the first repeat champion since U18 FMP Belgrade won back to back in 2008 and 2009. It was the first time that the ANGT Championship Game went to overtime. The 2016 continental champion Barcelona came up just short despite Michael Caicedo pouring in 25 points with 11 rebounds. Gael Bonilla added 16 points and Agustin Ubal had 11 points.

### [Game Info](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/ngt/game-center/2020-21-valencia-finals/u18-real-madrid-u18-fc-barcelona/JTF420/13/#boxscore)

EB ANGT Finals, Championship Game Highlights: U18 Real Madrid-U18 FC Barcelona

Caicedo scored the first points of the game on the break and Ian Granja added an inside layup before James Nnaji made it 0-6. Real could not get any rhythm offensively as Nnaji was a force in the paint for Barcelona with 2 blocks. The reigning champion came up empty on its first eight possessions with four turnovers until Ndiaye’s jumper after 4:29 minutes. After the early lead, Barcelona was held scoreless for more than 4 minutes and watched as Real scored the next 7 points - including a three-point play by Garuba. Caicedo stopped the Barcelona drought with a three-pointer and was answered by a Ndiaye triple. Bonilla and Kostadinov both hit from long range for their teams and the game was knotted 17-17 after 10 minutes. Klavzar hit a pair of three-pointers early in the second quarter as Real mounted its first mini-run at 8-0 to go up 27-19. Barcelona called a timeout and brought Nnaji back into the game and punched back with a 0-8 run. After a timeout of its own, Real went to Matteo Spagnolo who had 6 points in an 11-4 close to the first half for a 38-31 advantage at the break.

EB ANGT Finals MVP Highlights & Interview: Eli Ndiaye, U18 Real Madrid

A Nnaji three-point play started the second half but Kostadinov struck for 4 points as Real pushed the margin to double digits, 46-36. Barcelona raced back once again with two Caicedo baskets and back-to-back triples from Ubal to pull within 49-46. Klavzar knocked down two more triples at the other end to fend off Caicedo’s fight and keep Real ahead 60-56 after 30 minutes. Teodor Simic came off the bench for 7 points as Barcelona started the fourth quarter with a 0-9 run to pull ahead. Garuba finally got Real on the board after more than 3 minutes with a three-pointer and Kostadinov hit from deep for a 68-67 lead. Caicedo answered with a triple but the lead switched hands again on Henri Veeshaar’s three-point play for a 71-70 score with 2 minutes left. Caicedo swiped the ball from Spagnolo with 55 seconds left and Bonilla came down and nailed a three-pointer to make it 71-73. Both teams failed to convert allowing for Veeshaar to tie the game with on a layup with 1.4 seconds left. Caicedo’s tip-in off the in-bounds past went just off target to send the game to overtime - a historic first time in the history of the ANGT Championship Game.

Bonilla got Barcelona on the board first in the extra session but Garuba hit four points in a 6-0 run as Real went ahead 79-75. A Klavzar jumper had the reigning champs up 81-76 with 94 seconds left. Nnaji cut the deficit to 3 points, but Garuba and Ndiaye both came up with blocks in the final 13 seconds to secure the title.

ANGT Finals 2021 Valencia

U18 Real Madrid captured its third title at the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament when it prevailed in an 81-78 overtime thriller against Spanish archrival U18 FC Barcelona in the 2021 ANGT Championship Game. Konstantin Kostadinov led the way with 18 points and 12 rebounds while MVP Eli Ndiaye collected 17 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals in 44:47 minutes played. Urban Klavzar chipped in 16 points and Sediq Garuba tallied 13 points, 5 rebounds, 5 assists, 5 steals and 2 blocks in the victory. Real pulled even with U18 CSKA Moscow for a record three ANGT crowns following triumphs in 2015 and 2019. Real also became the first repeat champion since U18 FMP Belgrade won back to back in 2008 and 2009. It was the first time that the ANGT Championship Game went to overtime. The 2016 continental champion Barcelona came up just short despite Michael Caicedo pouring in 25 points with 11 rebounds. Gael Bonilla added 16 points and Agustin Ubal had 11 points.

Caicedo scored the first points of the game on the break and Ian Granja added an inside layup before James Nnaji made it 0-6. Real could not get any rhythm offensively as Nnaji was a force in the paint for Barcelona with 2 blocks. The reigning champion came up empty on its first eight possessions with four turnovers until Ndiaye’s jumper after 4:29 minutes. After the early lead, Barcelona was held scoreless for more than 4 minutes and watched as Real scored the next 7 points - including a three-point play by Garuba. Caicedo stopped the Barcelona drought with a three-pointer and was answered by a Ndiaye triple. Bonilla and Kostadinov both hit from long range for their teams and the game was knotted 17-17 after 10 minutes. Klavzar hit a pair of three-pointers early in the second quarter as Real mounted its first mini-run at 8-0 to go up 27-19. Barcelona called a timeout and brought Nnaji back into the game and punched back with a 0-8 run. After a timeout of its own, Real went to Matteo Spagnolo who had 6 points in an 11-4 close to the first half for a 38-31 advantage at the break.

A Nnaji three-point play started the second half but Kostadinov struck for 4 points as Real pushed the margin to double digits, 46-36. Barcelona raced back once again with two Caicedo baskets and back-to-back triples from Ubal to pull within 49-46. Klavzar knocked down two more triples at the other end to fend off Caicedo’s fight and keep Real ahead 60-56 after 30 minutes. Teodor Simic came off the bench for 7 points as Barcelona started the fourth quarter with a 0-9 run to pull ahead. Garuba finally got Real on the board after more than 3 minutes with a three-pointer and Kostadinov hit from deep for a 68-67 lead. Caicedo answered with a triple but the lead switched hands again on Henri Veeshaar’s three-point play for a 71-70 score with 2 minutes left. Caicedo swiped the ball from Spagnolo with 55 seconds left and Bonilla came down and nailed a three-pointer to make it 71-73. Both teams failed to convert allowing for Veeshaar to tie the game with on a layup with 1.4 seconds left. Caicedo’s tip-in off the in-bounds past went just off target to send the game to overtime - a historic first time in the history of the ANGT Championship Game.

Bonilla got Barcelona on the board first in the extra session but Garuba hit four points in a 6-0 run as Real went ahead 79-75. A Klavzar jumper had the reigning champs up 81-76 with 94 seconds left. Nnaji cut the deficit to 3 points, but Garuba and Ndiaye both came up with blocks in the final 13 seconds to secure the title.

### [Game Info](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/en/ngt/game-center/2020-21-valencia-finals/u18-real-madrid-u18-fc-barcelona/JTF420/13/#boxscore)

U18 Real Madrid captured its third title at the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament when it prevailed in an 81-78 overtime thriller against Spanish archrival U18 FC Barcelona in the 2021 ANGT Championship Game. 

Real outlasts Barcelona in OT thriller for 3rd ANGT title

U18 Real Madrid v U18 FC Barcelona (2021-06-06T09:00:00.000Z)

After leading U18 Real Madrid to its third title at the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals on Sunday, Eli Ndiaye was awarded the MVP trophy for his outstanding performance. 

Ndiaye grabs MVP trophy after leading Real to title

Ndiaye played a huge role in Real prevailing in a thrilling 81-78 overtime victory over Spanish nemesis U18 FC Barcelona in the 2021 ANGT Championship Game. The Senegal native, who was named the MVP of the ANGT Istanbul qualifying event, collected 17 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals for an index rating of 23 in 44:47 minutes. Joining Ndiaye on the all-tournament team were Michael Caicedo and James Nnaji of U18 FC Barcelona, Nikola Djurisic of U18 Mega SoccerBet Belgrade and Kymany Houinsou of U18 LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne.



<blockquote class="twitter-tweet">Ladies and gentlemen, the MVP of the <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/adidasNGT?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#adidasNGT</a> Finals is...🥁 ELI NDIAYE from U18 <a href="https://twitter.com/RMBaloncesto?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@RMBaloncesto</a>! Congratulations champion!🐐 <a href="https://t.co/9zvdiIcZEj">pic.twitter.com/9zvdiIcZEj</a>&mdash; Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (@EuroLeague) <a href="https://twitter.com/EuroLeague/status/1401495380576059392?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">June 6, 2021</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

For the ANGT Finals, Ndiaye averaged 19.0 points, 13.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 3.5 steals and 1.0 block for an average PIR of 30.5. He led the tournament in index rating, rebounds and steals, ranked second in points and fouls drawn (6.8 per game), third in offensive rebounds (4.8) and fifth in blocks. Caicedo gave all he could for Barcelona but his 25 points, 11 rebound and 4 steals in the full 45:00 minutes were not enough against Real. For the weekend, Caicedo collected 19.8 points, 8.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 2.5 steals for an average PIR of 20.5. He was first in points, fifth in index rating, sixth in steals and seventh in rebounds. Nnaji had 9 points, 9 rebounds and 4 blocks in the ANGT Championship Game. The Nigerian finished with 14.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.5 assists and 4.3 blocks and an average index rating of 26.0. Nnaji led the tournament blocks, was second in PIR, offensive rebounds (5.0) and two-point shooting (76.7%).

Djurisic helped Mega give Barcelona a real fight in Group B, but could not get the club to its third ANGT Championship Game. He averaged 13.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 6.0 assists for an index rating of 20.0. Djurisic ranked second in the tournament in assists and sixth in both rebounds and PIR. Houinsou was the leader of a young and exciting ASVEL team which nearly beat Real in the group stage. The guard collected 11.7 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.3 blocks for an index rating of 11.3. He ranked fourth in blocks, ninth in assists and 10th in rebounds.

There is no shortage of storylines for the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals as the continent’s premier U18 club competition takes center stage this week in the Spanish city of Valencia.

Four former champs highlight ANGT Finals field

The 18th edition of the ANGT Finals was originally scheduled to run alongside the 2021 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Cologne, Germany. However, pandemic regulations resulted in the tournament's relocated to the state-of-the-art L'Alqueria del Basket facility in Valencia, where the first of this season's three qualifying tournaments was staged. The group games will take place from June 3-5 with the ANGT Championship Game scheduled for June 6.

Four former champions headline the eight-team field, including the most recent winner U18 Real Madrid, which will be looking to become the first repeat champion since U18 FMP Belgrade in 2009. Real has hoisted the trophy on two occasions, just like U18 Zalgiris Kaunas, and should either team win on June 6 it would match U18 CSKA Moscow as a record three-time winner. U18 FC Barcelona and U18 Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade are the other two past winners in the field. Real (twice), Zalgiris (3) Barcelona (1) and Zvezda (2) all have additional appearances in the ANGT Championship Game.

Two other 2021 ANGT Finals participants will be aiming to finally reach the summit after coming up just short. U18 Mega SoccerBet Belgrade has been to two ANGT Championship Games; it lost in 2017 and 2019. U18 Stellazzurra Rome lost to U18 Rytas Vilnius in the 2018 title game. Should either Mega or Stellazzurra win the championship, or either of the other two participants - host U18 Valencia Basket or debutant U18 LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne - they would become the 11th club to be crowned U18 continental champion.

The eight teams are broken down into two groups with each team playing the others in the group in round-robin style. The top finisher in each group will then face off on Sunday in the ANGT Championship Game. Group A has Zvezda, ASVEL, Real and Zalgiris while Group B is made up of Barcelona, Mega, Stellazzurra and Valencia.

The 2014 champion Zvezda is appearing in the ANGT Finals for the 10th straight time and 11th overall. In addition to its 2014 crown, the club also reached the ANGT Championship Game in 2015 and 2016. Zvezda finished runner-up at the ANGT Belgrade and was awarded a wild card for the Finals. Fellow wild card recipient ASVEL is the sole first-timer in the competition in Valencia. The French club took sixth place at the ANGT Valencia. The 2015 champion Real has become a regular at the ANGT Finals, with its seventh straight appearance and eighth overall. The Spanish powerhouse, which lost to Zvezda in the 2014 ANGT Championship Game and beat the same club in 2015, took first place at the ANGT Istanbul to book its spot in the ANGT Finals. Zalgiris finished third at the ANGT Istanbul and was given a wild card to reach the Finals for the 15th time in 18 editions. The Lithuania club won the crown in 2003 and 2007 and lost in the title game in 2005, 2006 and 2011.

In Group B, Barcelona hoisted the trophy in 2016 after coming up just short in 2008 and 2013. The Spanish side took first place at the ANGT Valencia to make the Finals for the ninth time - but first since 2017. The Serbian team Mega claimed first place at the ANGT Belgrade to make the Finals for a fifth consecutive season. It was the runner-up in 2019 when it lost to Real in the ANGT Championship Game, meaning a repeat of the 2019 title bout is possible. Stellazzurra hopes to keep that from happening as it makes its third appearance in the Finals, following 2015 and 2018 - the latter of which it lost in the final. The Italians were ANGT Istanbul runners-up to Real and received a wild card. The other team in Group B is Valencia, which received a wild card as the host team to participate in the Finals for a second time after debuting in 2019.

Konstantin Kostadinov has already made major strides in his young career and the talent from Bulgaria now hopes he can help U18 Real Madrid to the title at the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals - and take another big step.

Real's Kostadinov has his eyes on ANGT glory

Kostadinov was important in Real finishing first at the ANGT Istanbul when he collected 7.0 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.3 steals per game including 6 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists in the first-place game win over U18 Stellazzurra Rome.

"I was not at my best in scoring, but I think I helped the team in rebounding, in finding my open teammates and I did whatever I had to do to get the win," Kostadinov said.

"I did whatever I had to do to get the win."

The Istanbul tournament was Kostadinov’s second ANGT qualifying event as he helped Real finish first at the ANGT Munich in the 2019-20 season, averaging 13.3 points, 6.8 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 2.0 steals. He came up big in the first-place game - also against Stellazzurra - with 23 points, 9 rebounds and 2 steals for an index rating of 22.

"One of the most important things that I learned from last year is being able to cope with pressure at the highest level. At the end, this is basketball. You need to have some fun if you want to play it," he said.

Basketball used to be really just fun for Kostadinov, who was born and raised in the Bulgarian city of Burgas on the Black Sea coast.

"I did not think that I could be good. I just was tall and my first coach really liked that because back then in my city when I was a little kid, there were not so many tall people. Therefore, when he met me it was a nice surprise for him," said Kostadinov of the city with about 200,000 people. "I started basketball with my friends, just for fun, just to do some physical activity and avoid staying at home all the time and watching TV. Then, when I started to play, I really liked it, because my height was an advantage and that was pretty good for me."

Despite Burgas being a small city, Kostadinov’s play was recognized by the country’s youth basketball leaders. He was named to the Bulgaria team for the FIBA U16 European Championship 2017 Division B - at just 14 years of age. He ended up playing at the competition the next two summers as well, helping Bulgaria finish sixth in 2019 - the country’s top performance since it returned to Division B in 2011.

"The main and the most important thing that I learned back then was you cannot enter the court with the mindset that things are going to be hard or the other way around either, that things are going to be easy," said Kostadinov, who averaged 14.6 points, 10.5 rebounds, 4.6 assists, 2.5 steals and 1.6 blocks in 2019, when Bulgaria lost to the Netherlands in the quarterfinals.

"In my first U16 championship I was the youngest player, so I was aware of the fact that I had to do something about it. I knew I could never score 40 points in my first game, so I tried to help the team in some other aspects such as rebounding, passing, defending," he explained.

Before Kostadinov even took the stage for Bulgaria, he already had his eyes opened widely. In 2016, Real Madrid came calling and brought the then 13-year-old youngster to Spain.

"It was a big surprise for me when I heard that Real Madrid was calling a kid from a small city in Bulgaria for tryouts. I never expected that," remembered Kostadinov, who went to the Spanish capital with his parents. "They helped me a lot through all that time because the first year was the hardest one. Without knowing the language, without knowing people here, everything is harder. However, my parents supported me a lot and thanks to them, my adjustment to Madrid and to the club was much easier."

Within the club, Kostadinov got to interact with many highly-regarded talents such as Usman Garuba, Mario Nakic, Amar Sylla and Juan Nunez. And just the experience of being around them helped Kostadinov in his development as well.

"You realize they are just kids like me and that we all experience similar situations. I learned that we all have ups and downs and that this is something normal," he said. "I also learned that the most important thing is not to pull back when things go wrong but keep fighting."

Kostadinov spent the 2020-21 season playing for Real Madrid’s second team in the EBA fourth league. In addition to the ANGT Istanbul, another highlight was making his Bulgarian senior national team debut in February 2021. He was on the bench when Bulgaria defeated Latvia to qualify for the FIBA EuroBasket for the first time since 2011.

“I was there, that was the most important thing. I was very happy getting there at my age," he said.

Kostadinov, who was still about a month shy of his 18th birthday, was allowed to play in Bulgaria’s other game in the national team window and he produced impressively. He drained 3 three-pointers in scoring 11 points to go with 2 rebounds, 1 assist, 1 steal and 1 block in 21 minutes of a loss to Bosnia and Herzegovina.

"The other players liked the threes. I missed the last dunk from an alley-oop, but they were pretty happy for me and my debut," he remembered.

Kostadinov is considered one of the biggest prospects in Bulgarian basketball, but he’s not worrying too much about that: "I am still young, I still have to work a lot in order to achieve what I want in basketball," he said.

"The most important thing is not to pull back when things go wrong but keep fighting."

The next goal comes in Valencia, where Real Madrid will be shooting for its third ANGT title following 2015 and 2019. Kostadinov and a number of his teammates from this year’s team were on last year’s squad that won the Munich qualifier and was ready to become the first team to repeat as ANGT champs since U18 FMP Belgrade in 2009. Real could also pull even with U18 CSKA Moscow for the most ANGT trophies; the Russian powerhouse won three straight crowns in 2004, 2005 and 2006.

"We are ready for that huge challenge. Last year we could not play because of the pandemic, so this year is the important one," Kostadinov said. "The team must play basketball, pass the ball, find the open teammate and shoot the easy shot. This tournament is important for all of us and the club, so we will do our best to try to win it."

That would be another major stride in his still-young career.

konstantin-kostadinov-u18-real-madrid-angt-istanbul-photo-tolga-adanali-jt20-becg7dupkvrqjr7x.jpg

It took Zaccharie Risacher a while to learn what many around him had long known - that his father Stephane Risacher was a great basketball player. 

Risacher trying to follow in father's footsteps

The younger Risacher has since realized it and is taking major steps to follow in his dad’s footsteps, which makes him an intriguing prospect to follow at the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Finals.

Risacher will be playing at the ANGT Finals with U18 LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne after the club received a wild card for the event, to be held in Valencia, Spain, from June 3-6. It will be another step up in his still very young career.

Risacher grew up with basketball around him. He was born in Spain in 2005 and lived there his first three years while his father was playing for Unicaja Malaga and Murcia. Zaccharie doesn’t remember that much from his time on the Iberian peninsula.

"I was very young, but I just remember there was a small basket in the garden and I was always outside playing," he said.

The Risacher family lived in Spain for a total of six years and one Spanish custom followed the family to France in 2008.

"As long as I can remember I was always in the gym."

"We kept the habit of having dinner late like in Spain," Risacher said.

Dinners in Spain and France were full of basketball talk, he remembered. That’s also because the game was a major part of his father’s life as Stephane played for Paris, Pau-Orthez, Olympiacos Piraeus, Unicaja, Murcia and Elan Chalon - not to mention 10 years for the France national team.

"As long as I can remember I was always in the gym, following my dad and we always had a basket at home," said Risacher, who joined the Chalon sur Saone youth ranks when he was 3 and a half years old.

But to Zaccharie, Stephane Risacher was just his father, not a 2000 Olympic silver medalist who played 96 games over six seasons in the EuroLeague for Olympiacos and Unicaja before retiring in 2010.

"As I got older I realized my dad was a great player. We had always spoken about basketball at home since I was very young. But I was 12 when I realized this," he explained.

Growing up in Lyon and playing for the small club Tassin in the city suburbs, Risacher had his father with him in his own basketball endeavor as the team’s assistant coach.

Zaccharie signed with ASVEL to play in the club’s youth ranks in August 2020 and was excited about the opportunity to play for an organization that regularly gives its youngsters chances to play at higher levels.

"I was very lucky to join the academy and be able to stay close to my home and my family. I want to continue developing myself in order maybe to have this opportunity," said Risacher, who has played in the French U21 league this season since early March. "Playing at this level allowed me to learn quicker. The players are physically stronger and more mature."

Risacher got a major taste of success when ASVEL claimed the U21 league title this season with the forward averaging 4.4 points and 1.8 rebounds in 10 minutes over 10 games - highlighted by a 12-point effort in a quarterfinals victory over Pau-Lacq-Orthez.

"I was very lucky to join the academy and be able to stay close to my home and my family."

Risacher showed at the ANGT Valencia qualifying event just how quick of a learner he is. In his first two games in the late December 2020 tournament, he combined for 6 points and 6 rebounds. Then he poured in 18 points with 7 rebounds against the U18 team of his father’s former club Unicaja. And Zaccharie finished with 12 points, 8 rebounds and 3 steals against U18 Herbalife Gran Canaria.

"I played better in the second part of the tournament," he reflected. "It was nice to see how players from others countries are playing the game of basketball."

Risacher and a number of his teammates from the championship-winning U21 team are now ready for a chance at another title. ASVEL's invitation to the ANGT Finals marks the club’s first appearance in the competition's final round of action. Risacher will once again heed the advice of his parents.

"The first thing my parents told me was to always try to do my best on the court. And stay focused on my goals," he said.

And only recently has that included trying to be as successful as his father.

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Fabrizio Pugliatti may only be 17 years old, but the U18 Stellazzurra Rome guard hopes to be an inspiration for younger players in his homeland, Venezuela. 

Stellazzurra's Venezuela talent Pugliatti thrilled to be 'home' in Italy

He is thrilled to be taking the first step toward doing that in his other homeland of Italy.

Pugliatti helped Stellazzurra reach the first-place game at the Euroleague Basketball Adidas Next Generation Tournament Istanbul, which ultimately resulted in the club getting one of the invitations to the ANGT Finals in Valencia from June 3-6.

"We did a great job in Istanbul. It was a shame we couldn't win the tournament," said Pugliatti, who turned 17 in February and averaged 5.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, a team-high 3.3 assists and 1.0 steals in his first ANGT event. "The ANGT is the biggest stage in Europe. For me, it was a huge step forward. I love to compete and compare myself to other players from all around the world."

Stellazzurra will be appearing at the ANGT Finals for the third time after 2015 and 2018 - the latter of which saw the team reached the ANGT Championship Game. Pugliatti said he cannot wait for the event: "It is another great opportunity for us. We are getting prepared to face this new challenge. We are ready to go to Valencia with all the desire to do our best."

"The ANGT is the biggest stage in Europe. For me, it was a huge step forward."

That desire stems from playing basketball early in the northern Venezuelan city of Valencia, where he battled on the local courts as the youngest of four brothers - the oldest of whom played professionally briefly in Venezuela and Panama.

"When I was a kid, I tried every time to take some inspiration from my older brothers," Pugliatti said. "My challenge was to beat them and get better. My brothers gave me a lot of advice and taught me how to play in a mature way."

Pugliatti said he grew up watching a lot of basketball – both NBA and EuroLeague. His childhood idol was Greivis Vasquez, one of the few Venezuelans to reach the NBA. Pugliatti currently enjoys watching Wade Baldwin IV of FC Bayern Munich and he thinks his own game is similar to Chris Paul in terms of his basketball IQ and passing abilities.

His game was noticed by Venezuelan youth basketball leaders and he was selected to play at the FIBA U14 South American Championship in 2017 when he was still a year younger than most of the players. The event was played in Venezuela and Pugliatti helped the hosts reach the final, where they lost to Brazil.

"It was an event that was streamed and followed a lot in South America. My coach gave me great confidence despite being such a young kid as I was at the time. That opportunity boosted my passion for basketball," said Pugliatti, who had already made a name for himself as the U13 national MVP.

That exposure led to a watershed 2018 for Pugliatti, who received an offer from Stellazzurra to come to Europe and develop his game in Italy. He was just 14 years old when he came to Rome.

"It was very tough at the beginning: a long-distance family-son connection is always very hard. After a few weeks, I got used to it and now Stella is my second family," Pugliatti said. "Stella is a big family. Most players come from different parts of the world. Hence it is easier to get involved with each player living here."

Coming to Italy was actually a bit of coming home for Pugliatti, whose grandparents on his father’s side both migrated from Sicily to Venezuela after World War II. His father was born in Venezuela and returned to Italy for his middle and elementary school years in Sicily before moving back to Venezuela, where he met Pugliatti’s Venezuelan mother.

"My dad is very proud of me. He is excited about my decision to track his roots here in Italy. I message and call him every time I can," said Pugliatti.

There was also a major disappointment for Pugliatti in 2018 when he played at the FIBA U15 South American Championship in Uruguay, where Venezuela lost to Argentina in the third-place game and missed the chance to play at the FIBA U16 Americas Championship 2019.

"Stella is a big family. Most players come from different parts of the world. Hence it is easier to get involved with each player living here."


"That moment hurt me a lot because we did not achieve the goal to play at U16 Americas. We know we could have done a lot more than we did," said Pugliatti, who averaged 2.4 points, 3.6 rebounds and 1.0 assists. "It gave me a lot of energy to work more and improve all the time. I want to be ready if this kind of opportunity shows up in the future."

A major opportunity came on November 22, 2020, when Pugliatti played for Stellazzurra’s team in the SerieA2 second division against Scafati, becoming the youngest Venezuelan to debut in a European professional league.

"It was a blessing and a big responsibility. It was a big moment of joy for me and my family. We are altogether making a huge effort for me to make these things happen, said the youngster, who has averaged 4.2 points, 2.2 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 0.8 steals in 14 minutes per game in the league this season. Pugliatti’s endeavors are being well documented by media back in Venezuela, which is home to an estimated 2 million people of Italian descent.

"Representing my country is an honor for me. It makes me very proud," he said. And Pugliatti is hoping he can become a role model for youngsters back home: "I want to inspire the young generation of players from Venezuela, demonstrating to them just how big the impact can be if a chance in Europe would show up."

Pugliatti is certainly taking advantage of the opportunity while being "back home".

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