By Can Erozden
ANKARA (AA) - Two-time Turkish Airlines EuroLeague champion Pablo Laso from Spain was hired by Bayern Munich on Monday to coach the German basketball club for the next two seasons.
In a statement, Bayern Munich said that longtime Real Madrid head coach Laso, 55, signed a contract with the German team until summer 2025.
"It is a great honor and pleasure for me to be in Munich. I would like to thank this great club for considering me to be a part of writing the next chapter of Bayern in the EuroLeague and BBL (Germany's Basketball-Bundesliga)," said Laso.
"Of course, I would be happy to achieve similar success as in the past, but success is not solely defined by winning the EuroLeague, that should be clear to everyone. I am 100 percent committed and ready to help Bayern reach the next level of this exciting project," he added.
Laso was a Real Madrid head coach in 2011-2022, winning two EuroLeague titles in 2015 and 2018, and it is his first job since leaving the Spanish powerhouse last summer for medical reasons.
In addition to his EuroLeague success with Real Madrid, Laso helped them win six Spanish league titles.
"He has immense experience, has celebrated great successes with Real Madrid, and is one of the most renowned coaches in the EuroLeague. A new challenge awaits him at FC Bayern, and we are very pleased that he believes in our vision," said Bayern President Herbert Hainer.
Laso, who was a former Baskonia and Real Madrid point guard in the 1980s and ‘90s, was named EuroLeague Coach of the Year in 2015 and 2018.