Four storylines to follow at the 2026 ENBL VIMODROM Final Four

Four teams from Germany, Poland, Romania and the United Kingdom will play for the 2026 Europen North Basketball league`s title on April 22-23 at the Stadthalle Weissenfels. Here are the main storylines.

CSO Voluntari chasing second title

In April 2025, CSO Voluntari became the first team in ENBL history to play in consecutive Final Fours and – after their epic semifinal 107-103 win over Inter Bratislava – in consecutive finals.

The Romanian club with a Latvian playcaller Ainars Bagatskis at helm completed its victorious journey with a 95-82 win over the most decorated British club, Newcastle Eagles.

A year later, now with Bagatskis former assistant Dan Ioan at the steering wheel, CSO Voluntari are facing their third consecutive – and record breaking – Final Four.

CSO Voluntari have a 28-6 record in the ENBL. If they win the 2026 title, they will improve their win and loss ratio to 30-6, along with a record 12 wins in a single season.

A new finalist (-s)

ENBL VIMODROM Final Four 2026 offers many firsts. It`s the first time when two teams – CSO Voluntari and Dziki Warszawa – return to the Last Four but only one of them will make it to final.

It`s also the first time when a Bundesliga team plays in the Final Four. The 2025 German Cup winners SYNTAINICS MBC surpassed the Bamberg Baskets – the 2026 German Cup winners.

The hosts will face the 2026 Super League Basketball Cup finalists, Manchester Basketball. The winners of this semifinal duel will play for the title.

It`s also worth to remember about Dziki Warszawa. The Polish club posted two biggest upsets in ENBL history, winning consecutive quarterfinal series against Bamberg Baskets and Iraklis BC.

Nine players eyeing second title

Three teams have ENBL champions in their ranks. Lone exception – Manchester Basketball.

CSO Voluntari have seven gold medalists – the 2025 champions Kodi Justice, Mike Caffey, Laszlo Polyak, Lee Skinner, Costin Serbanescu, Matei Visan and Alexandru Olah.

SYNTAINICS MBC newcomer Nemanja Djurisic won the 2023 title with BM Stal Ostrow.

Lukasz Frackiewicz represented Anwil Wloclawek during the inaugural ENBL season, although didn`t stepped on the floor in the 2022 final against Šiauliai.

Home sweet home

The first three ENBL champions were crowned on the home floor. Anwil Wloclawek won the inaugural crown in 2022, followed by BM Stal Ostrów in 2023 and Bakken Bears in 2024.

Inter Bratislava – now Slovan Bratislava – entered the 2025 Glasora Final Four with a 10-0 record but suffered consecutive losses against CSO Voluntari and Dziki Warszawa to finish fourth.

SYNTAINICS MBC are strong contenders. Weissenfels team hosted the 2025 VIMODROM Top Four and won the German Cup – their first domestic trophy. What about a European follow-up?

Fun facts

Rodney RJ Gunn and his ENBL teams – Inter Bratislava in 2025 and SYNTAINICS MBC in 2026 – have reached the Final Four with 10-0 and 10-1 records respectively.

Four SYNTAINICS MBC players – Charles Callison, Spencer Reaves, Akeem Vargas and Moritz Heck – won the 2025 German Cup, beating ENBL team in the final (Bamberg Baskets).

Five former ENBL players – Ibrahim Watson-Boye, Moritz Krimmer, Adrian Petkovic, EJ Onu (Legia) and Richard Balint (Basket Brno) – won the 2026 German Cup with the Bamberg Baskets.

PJay Smith from Manchester Basketball and Marcus Foster from SYNTAINICS MBC were teammates at the Furman University (2023-2024), their teams will meet in a semifinal.

SYNTAINICS MBC power forward Collin Welp was recently selected by the German National team. His father Christian Welp won the EuroBasket 1993 with German National team.

Germany won the 2023 FIBA World Cup in Manila for the first time, and then won the EuroBasket 2025 in Rīga, Latvia. Berlin will host the 2026 Women`s World Cup in September.

Countries, represented at the ENBL Final Four (all editions)

Poland: Anwil 2022; BM Stal Ostrów, Start Lublin, King Szczecin 2023; Dziki 2025, 2026.

Lithuania: Šiauliai 2022 and 2024; BC Wolves 2023.

Estonia: Tartu University 2022.

Czechia: Basket Brno 2022.

Belgium: Liège Basket 2024.

Denmark: Bakken Bears 2024.

Romania: CSO Voluntari 2024, 2025, 2026.

Slovakia: Inter Bratislava 2025.

United Kingdom: Newcastle Eagles 2025, Manchester Basketball 2026.

Germany: SYNTAINICS MBC 2026.