Tarik Biberovic to play as a foreigner in the EuroBasket Qualifying series (1 Viewer)

[MartinGee]

Tarik Biberovic, the Bosnian-Turkish player for Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, has hit a snag regarding his eligibility to play for the Turkish national team. Reports from Basketfaul indicate that despite his tenure with Fenerbahce, FIBA has denied him local player status for the upcoming FIBA EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers.

In contrast, Tarik's brother, Faruk Biberovic, will retain his local player status, having participated in underage tournaments with the Turkish national team.

Earlier, Ergin Ataman, head coach of the Turkish national team and Panathinaikos AKTOR Athens, had expressed intentions to include Tarik Biberovic in the preliminary roster, set to be announced on February 12th.

This move comes after the Turkish Basketball Federation opted not to extend Turkish status to Shane Larkin or Scottie Wilbekin due to their absence from Turkey's 2023 FIBA Olympic Pre-Qualifying Tournament efforts.

Tarik Biberovic now steps into the void left by these two players, potentially securing a spot in the final 12-man roster for the EuroBasket 2025 Qualifiers under Ergin Ataman's selection.

Despite the setback, Biberovic has seen an uptick in playing time in this year's EuroLeague, achieving career highs with averages of 5.8 points and 1.7 rebounds per game. His shooting efficiency is particularly noteworthy, boasting a 56.5% success rate in both two-point and three-point shooting in Europe's premier basketball competition.