Valencia seeks to compete in Istanbul against an ambitious Besiktas

The Valencia Basket faces its debut in the 2026-27 EuroLeague away from home, at the Akatlar Arena in Istanbul. After a historic season that included the Liga Endesa, the Supercopa, and participation in the Final Four of the continental competition, the taronja arrive at this new campaign with a radically renewed project. The departure of Pedro Martínez to the bench of Real Madrid marked a turning point in the taronja summer, forcing the club to rethink its structure.

A project in reconstruction

The previous campaign was the brightest in the history of Valencia Basket. The team conquered the Liga Endesa and the Supercopa, in addition to reaching the semifinals of the EuroLeague for the first time, where they fell to Real Madrid. However, the success came at a very high price in the summer market. Montero and Badio activated their release clauses to leave for Olympiacos and Panathinaikos, respectively. Braxton Key signed with Fenerbahçe, while Darius Thompson moved to Armani Milan. Jaime Pradilla also left the project to join Real Madrid, and Sergio de Larrea signed with the Dallas Mavericks of the NBA.

But the most significant loss was that of Pedro Martínez. The coach who took Valencia to unprecedented heights in Europe paid his clause to coach Real Madrid, leaving a considerable void on the bench. The club's bet has been Xavi Albert, who was Martínez's assistant and is now debuting as head coach at the highest level. Israel González, former coach of Alba Berlin, joins the coaching staff as the main novelty.

On the court, Valencia has opted for a significant renewal. Guards TJ Shorts, Mario Saint-Supéry, Gonzalo Corbalán, and Armoni Brooks arrive to lead the attack. In the interior, Mouhamed Gueye and Dylan Osetkowski will seek to provide defensive solidity. Lucas Marí returns after his time in the NCAA, completing a roster that has hardly competed together in official competition.

The Supercopa as the first test

Valencia has already had the opportunity to measure itself in official competition. In the Supercopa Endesa, the taronja fell in the semifinals against Barcelona by 86-87, in a match that was decided in the final minutes. The game highlighted both strengths and weaknesses of the new project.

On the positive side, Valencia took extraordinary care of the ball, recording only eleven turnovers compared to Barcelona's twenty-one. Kameron Taylor was the top scorer with twenty-three points, completing an 11 of 12 in free throws. TJ Shorts demonstrated his potential with a complete performance: seventeen points, six rebounds, and seven assists. However, rebounding was the Achilles' heel. Barcelona completely dominated the boards, with fifty-one to thirty-seven, accumulating sixteen offensive rebounds to Valencia's ten. According to available analyses, the team competes but is still far from the intensity and coordination displayed last season.

Besiktas, an ambitious rival

Besiktas does not arrive at the EuroLeague as an occasional participant. The Turkish club reached the EuroCup final for the first time last season with a record of sixteen wins and five losses, although they lost to JL Bourg. Their coach, Serbian Dusan Alimpijevic, was named the best coach of the EuroCup for the second time in his career. The club renewed his contract until 2028 and has built a very ambitious roster to compete at the highest level.

The additions for Besiktas are numerous. Scottie Wilbekin, who has a Turkish passport and played for Fenerbahçe last season, strengthens the perimeter. Furkan Korkmaz, who has NBA experience with the Sixers, arrives from Tofas. The team has also signed Jaylen Nowell, DaQuan Jeffries, and Metecan Birsen. However, there are two signings that particularly resonate in the Liga Endesa: Mady Sissoko, who joins from Real Madrid, and Eugene Omoruyi, who averaged 10.7 points in twenty-three EuroLeague games with Baskonia. To maintain the identity of the team that reached the EuroCup final, the club renewed key players like Anthony Brown, Devon Dotson, and Berk Ugurlu.

The interior factor

Besiktas boasts significant arguments in the interior. Sissoko, Omoruyi, and Wenyen Gabriel form a trio of inside players with offensive and defensive capabilities that can exploit Valencia's most obvious weakness: rebounding. This battle on the boards will be crucial in determining the balance of the game.

Keys to the match

Valencia arrives with an advantage in terms of minutes together in official competition. They have played the Supercopa and have more established connections among their players. However, the rebounding problem highlighted by Barcelona will continue to be a concern. Besiktas, with their interior potential, will seek to exploit that weakness from the first minute.

On the perimeter, the battle between TJ Shorts' playmaking and Scottie Wilbekin's experience could be decisive in setting the pace of the game. Shorts will need to control the tempo and create offensive advantages, while Wilbekin will look to slow down the game and favor the Turkish interior play.

For their part, Besiktas faces the challenge of integrating nine new players while competing in the most demanding league in Europe. They do so against a rival that just played in the Final Four and, despite the reconstruction, still maintains European ambitions. The atmosphere of the debut in Istanbul will almost certainly be their best ally, providing an extra boost to a team looking to establish itself in the top competition.

Valencia will not have time to digest the result from Istanbul. Just four days later, on Tuesday, September 29 at 20:30, they will launch their participation at the Roig Arena against Baskonia. That will be their first home test in this new phase.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, Valencia busca competir en Estambul ante un Besiktas ambicioso