Spain’s long-serving coach Sergio Scariolo closed his final chapter with the national team under circumstances he would not have chosen. His last game at the helm came in a narrow 90-86 loss to Greece in the EuroBasket 2025 group stage, ending Spain’s run before the knockouts. Yet despite the disappointment, the man who guided “La Roja” for 15 years reflected with deep pride rather than regret.
“Obviously, nobody dreams about losing their last game,” Scariolo admitted. “I’d love to win. But I can’t be prouder of the effort of my players. It’s unbelievable how they came back from a 15-point deficit and managed to keep their head above water. The effort, the competitiveness, the energy they put into the game is unbelievable. You look at the roster… You have to be proud, finishing with two 19-year-olds on the floor. Because they deserved to finish the game and have the chance to play those minutes. Because they are the future, along with most of the other players.”
Even in defeat, Scariolo stressed that Spain’s foundation is strong: “The future is bright. Somebody else will be at the helm of this team. I told my players to stay together, to keep loving the jersey, to keep trusting the unbelievable work the federation is doing. From my side, I don’t want anything else than the links that were created all these 15 years. They are huge. I’ll be the No. 1 fan from now on.”
Scariolo’s tenure, which began in 2009, transformed Spain into one of basketball’s great dynasties. He won gold at the 2019 FIBA World Cup, three EuroBasket titles (2011, 2015, 2022), Olympic silver in 2012, Olympic bronze in 2016, and EuroBasket bronze in 2017. Under his guidance, Spain became not only a winning team but a cultural symbol of competitiveness and togetherness.
Asked what advice he would leave for his successor, Scariolo reached back to his early years in Spanish basketball: “When I first came to Spain in 1997, I was seeing nice basketball but an extremely surprising lack of competitiveness. Then the 1980-born generation came up, and they started to show everyone how the Spanish not only can play basketball but also win. This became the real DNA of this team. The value has always been at the top. We don’t give up. We never give up. No matter who the opponent, the talent, the score, or the injuries. Tonight, one of our best players (Dario Brizuela) couldn’t play.”
He also underlined the sense of unity that has defined Spain’s identity: “Togetherness. Here we don’t point fingers, we don’t look to blame people when we lose. That the name you have on your chest is more important than the one you have on your back. And these guys have reflected it and shown it over and over. We became World champions and European champions with most of the legendary generation being retired. We could compete in the last competitions. That’s what we got, and that’s what we want to translate to these younger teams to come. Everyone feels part of the same family and works in a progressive way. And I hope this legacy will stay for many years beyond our experience here.”
Despite bowing out early, Scariolo made sure to credit the victors: “Congrats to Greece. They have an unbelievable team with many great players. A superstar. On paper, they are one of the top 4-5 teams in Europe, no question. Great coach. They had a super first half, playing great and hitting shots with an incredible percentage.”
Finally, in a nod to his passion for the game beyond his own team, Scariolo promised he would remain a student and a fan of EuroBasket.
“Several members of the coaching staff watched Serbia vs. Turkey and wondered, ‘What sport is this?’ I’m going to keep watching, like any basketball fan. Germany is a great team, France has injuries but will be there, you can never rule out Slovenia, with one of the best players in the world…”
Sergio Scariolo says goodbye to the Spanish national team after 15 years 👏👏👏#Eurobasket https://t.co/BfH2Rd8RSm
— Eurohoops (@Eurohoopsnet) September 4, 2025
