Sergio Scariolo’s Unexpected Exit: What’s Next for Spain’s Basketball Giants?

In 2012, 2016 and 2021, Spain lost to the U.S. in the Olympic playoff rounds by an average margin of nine points. Scariolo, a 64-year-old Italian, coached La Roja from 2009-12 and also since 2015 through the twilight of the nation’s golden generation.Spain was eliminated in the group stage in Paris, its first Olympics without the retired Pau Gasol since the 2000 Sydney Games.After steering Spain’s men’s basketball squad through more than a decade of highs and heartaches, Sergio Scariolo is now ready to hang up his whistle post this summer’s EuroBasket. This marks the curtain call for a coaching career that embraced four consecutive Olympic Games — an era defined by grit, glory, and some downright unforgettable moments. The 64-year-old Italian mastermind first took the helm in 2009, guided La Roja until 2012, then returned in 2015 to shepherd a golden generation featuring the iconic Gasol brothers and Ricky Rubio. Together, they bagged Olympic medals in London and Rio, snagged the 2019 FIBA World Cup, and dominated Europe with four championships. Despite falling short against the U.S. in Olympic playoff rounds, Spain’s legacy under Scariolo remains etched in the annals of basketball history, even as the team faced its first group-stage exit in Paris without Pau Gasol for the first time since 2000. Spain’s basketball federation isn’t holding back on the praise, with president Elisa Aguilar hailing Scariolo as a visionary and the nation’s winningest coach — a testament to his enduring impact on the sport and its players. LEARN MOREWith plays like brothers Pau and Marc Gasol, plus Ricky Rubio, he guided Spain to Olympic silver and bronze medals in 2012 and 2016 and the FIBA World Cup title in 2019, plus four European Championships.“My first words are to thank Sergio for all his commitment to the national team,” Spain basketball federation president Elisa Aguilar said in a press release, according to a translation. “Five golds, one silver, and two bronzes define Sergio’s role in these 15 years. He has known how to improve the performance of our players and has always shown a comprehensive vision of our sport, involved in player development, and has been a visionary. anticipating all the problems we could have.