Valencia Basket head coach Pedro Martinez entered the 2026 EuroLeague Final Four with a simple message after one of the biggest playoff comebacks of the season: his team earned its place among Europe’s elite through resilience, defense and belief.
Speaking Thursday in Athens ahead of Valencia’s semifinal matchup against Real Madrid, Martinez reflected on a campaign that transformed Valencia from a preseason outsider into one of the final four teams standing.
Valencia finished second in the regular season with a 25-13 record and then produced one of the defining series wins of the playoffs. After falling behind 0-2 against Panathinaikos, the Spanish club won three straight games, including an 81-64 victory in Game 5, to reach its first EuroLeague Final Four.
Martinez was asked whether eliminating a seven-time EuroLeague champion gave his group extra confidence entering the weekend in Athens. His response was brief but direct.
“Yes.”
That answer matched Valencia’s approach throughout the season. The club played with pace offensively, but its defensive growth became the foundation of its late-season run.
During the press conference, Fenerbahce coach Sarunas Jasikevicius pointed to defense as the backbone of winning basketball when discussing his own team’s evolution. Valencia showed a similar formula in the playoffs, especially against Panathinaikos guard Kendrick Nunn, one of the league’s most explosive scorers.
Martinez also shared a lighter moment with Real Madrid coach Sergio Scariolo when both veteran coaches were asked about longevity and their relationship. Martinez joked, “First of all, I am younger than him. It’s only three months.”
The Valencia coach then shifted into a more serious tone and praised Scariolo while discussing the demands of coaching at the highest level.
“I think we talk because I have a great relation with him,” Martinez said. “I think we are friends.”
Martinez also addressed perceptions about his personality around the game.
“Some people think that I am a conflictive coach with other coaches but that’s not true,” he said. “I respect him.”
Valencia’s rise this season has been built on continuity, ball movement and the emergence of 22-year-old guard Jean Montero. The Dominican star earned EuroLeague Rising Star honors and became one of the breakout performers of the playoffs.
Montero said he plans to stay aggressive despite this being his first Final Four appearance.
“If I’m open, I’m about to shoot,” Montero said when asked about taking a potential last shot in a championship setting.
Valencia now faces a Real Madrid team chasing its 12th EuroLeague title. Madrid advanced to Athens after defeating Hapoel Tel Aviv 3-1 in the quarterfinals.
The semifinal between Valencia and Real Madrid will take place Friday at Telekom Center Athens, formerly known as OAKA. The winner advances to Sunday’s championship game against either Olympiacos or Fenerbahce.
For Martinez and Valencia, the challenge now is sustaining the same composure that carried them through the playoffs and into the biggest weekend in European basketball.
