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Anadolu Efes Set to Bring Back Luca Banchi Following Pablo Laso's Departure
jun 08 2026Anadolu Efes will change head coaches again this summer. According to BasketNews, the Turkish club is set to end Pablo Laso's tenure and is working on bringing back Luca Banchi as head coach for the upcoming season.
The decision comes after a disappointing season for the Istanbul club. Laso took over in December 2025 following Igor Kokoskov's dismissal, but failed to turn the project around. Anadolu Efes finished in 19th place in the EuroLeague and lost 1-3 to Fenerbahçe in the Turkish league semifinals.
Banchi knows the club's structure well. The Italian coach led Anadolu Efes during the second half of the 2024-25 season, taking the team to the EuroLeague Playoffs, where he forced a fifth game against Panathinaikos, and also reached the domestic competition semifinals.
After that stint, the club opted for a new coaching change, handing the project to Igor Kokoskov. However, just a year later, Efes appears ready to bet on Banchi again in an attempt to return the team to European elite status.
If the move is confirmed, Anadolu Efes will face its third head coaching change in less than a year, seeking to regain lost prominence in both the EuroLeague and Turkish league.
