The European Basketball Championship 2025 for men will once again be staged without Austria. This is already certain before the actual qualification has even started. On Wednesday evening in Schwechat, the ÖBV team had to admit defeat to the selection of Bulgaria with 71:85 (38:53).
Austria’s basketball players last took part in a European Championship finals in 1977. They will have to wait at least until 2029. The defeat sealed Coach Chris O’Shea’s team out after the third round of pre-qualification (Group J). Bogic Vujosevic scored 24, Timo Lanmüller 14 points for red-white-red. The preliminary decision in the “all or nothing” game from the Austrian point of view had already been made in the first quarter.
The Bulgarians got a 28:13 lead and then controlled what was happening on the floor. They had already won the first leg in Botevgrad with 83:71. Success in the Multiverse was the first by a visiting team in Group J. There had previously been four home wins. In the final game, the ÖBV team will be in Norway on Saturday (6 p.m., live on ORF Sport +).