Bagatskis finds new job with Benfica Lisbon

Latvian basketball coach Ainars Bagatskis, 59, has signed a contract with one of Portugal's most decorated clubs, Benfica Lisbon. The details of the agreement and the duration of the partnership have not been revealed yet.

Bagatskis previously coached Slask Wroclaw in Poland last season, participating in both the Polish league and the ULEB Eurocup. However, he was dismissed two games before the end of the regular season.

Benfica has won the Portuguese championship 31 times and had secured four consecutive titles before the past season. However, the team failed to defend its crown in the most recent campaign.

In the upcoming season, Benfica will compete in the FIBA Champions League qualifiers, where they could face the Latvian club VEF Riga. If they fail to qualify, the Portuguese team will continue in the FIBA Europe Cup.

Bagatskis has had a rich coaching career. He was the head coach of the Latvian national team from 2010 to 2017. At the club level, he has worked with Barons, Zalgiris Kaunas, Valmiera, Enisey, Nizhny Novgorod, Sokhumi, Budivelnyk Kyiv, Kyiv-Basket, Brose Bamberg, Darussafaka Istanbul, and Maccabi Tel Aviv. He also coached the Ukrainian national team.