Real Madrid replaces coach Sergio Scariolo with Valencia's Pedro Martínez after season without a title

A trophyless season costs Scariolo his job

Real Madrid basketball endured its first season without a single title since 2010–11, a drought that has now cost head coach Sergio Scariolo his job. Appointed on 3 July 2025 on a three-year deal, Scariolo guided the team to the EuroLeague Final Four and topped the ACB regular season, but the campaign crumbled amid injuries to centers Walter Tavares, Len and Garuba. The side lost the Spanish Super Cup final to Valencia, fell to Baskonia in the Copa del Rey, was beaten by Olympiacos in the EuroLeague championship game and suffered a shock ACB quarter-final exit against La Laguna Tenerife.

“I have a contract. That’s a question for the club.”

he said after the season ended. Days later, president Florentino Pérez brought back Juan Carlos Sánchez to run the basketball section, prompting the resignation of sporting director Sergio Rodríguez. That reshuffle ultimately sealed Scariolo’s fate.

Pedro Martínez arrives from Valencia

To replace Scariolo, Real Madrid has turned to Pedro Martínez, the Catalan coach who led Valencia Basket to the ACB and Super Cup titles this season and was named EuroLeague Coach of the Year. Martínez, who turned 65 on Monday, had only in March extended his Valencia contract through 2028, yet the lure of a first spell at one of Spain’s “big two” – he has never coached Real Madrid or Barcelona – proved decisive. Valencia made two improved offers to keep him, first before Madrid’s approach and again after the interest became known, but Martínez opted for the sporting challenge. Real Madrid will pay his buyout clause, reported by most outlets as €1 million, though El Periódico puts the figure at €1.2 million, and offer him a three-year deal.

A costly upheaval

The coaching change is expensive. Dismissing Scariolo with two years left on his contract will cost approximately €5 million in compensation, according to sources cited by LaVanguardia. Together with the buyout fee, the total bill for the switch hovers around €6 million. Valencia, for its part, reacted with irritation: the club says it received no direct communication from Florentino Pérez’s side and had matched Madrid’s terms in an effort to retain the architect of its two ACB crowns (2017 and 2026).

Players react

The move has already stirred discontent inside the Madrid locker room. Star forward Mario Hezonja, who credited Scariolo for his strong form, posted on X:

“At this point, do I write paragraphs here or record a massive TikTok spitting fire?”

His message signals possible summer departure speculation, and reports also indicate that six to eight squad players could leave as part of a wider rebuild. Valencia, meanwhile, is bracing for the loss of star player Jean Montero and others, with fears the championship side could be dismantled.

What lies ahead

Pedro Martínez, who began his coaching career at Joventut and has since led a dozen Spanish clubs including Manresa, Gran Canaria, Baskonia and Sevilla, must now revive a Real Madrid team that fell short in every competition. His challenge is immediate: reassemble a roster, manage the fallout from Scariolo’s abrupt exit and restore a winning culture after the club’s longest trophy drought in over a decade.