![]() | |
Founded | FIBA era 14 December 1957[1] Euroleague Basketball era 9 June 2000[2] |
---|---|
First season | FIBA era 1958 Euroleague Basketball era 2000-01 |
Region | Europe |
Confederation | FIBA Europe |
Number of teams | 18 |
Current champions | ![]() (8th title) |
Most championships | ![]() (10 titles) |
TV partners | List of broadcasters |
Website | Official website |
![]() |
The EuroLeague, known as the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague for sponsorship reasons, is the top-tier European professional basketball club competition, organized by Euroleague Basketball since 2000.
Introduced in 2000, the competition replaced the FIBA EuroLeague (which was previously called the FIBA European Champions Cup, or simply the European Cup), which had been run by FIBA since 1958. The FIBA European Champions Cup and the EuroLeague are considered to be the same competition, with the change of name being simply a re-branding.
The EuroLeague is one of the most popular indoor sports leagues in the world, with an average attendance of 8,780 for league matches in the 2017-18 season. That was the fifth-highest of any professional indoor sports league in the world (the highest outside the United States), and the second-highest of any professional basketball league in the world, only behind the National Basketball Association (NBA).
The EuroLeague title has been won by 21 clubs, 13 of which have won the title more than once. The most successful club in the competition is Real Madrid, with ten titles. The current champions are CSKA Moscow, who defeated Anadolu Efes in the 2019 final, winning the club's eighth title.
The FIBA European Champions Cup was originally established by FIBA and it operated under its umbrella from 1958 until the summer of 2000, concluding with the 1999-00 season. That was when Euroleague Basketball was created.
FIBA had never trademarked the "EuroLeague" name, even though it had used that name for the competition since 1996. Euroleague Basketball simply appropriated the name, and since FIBA had no legal recourse to do anything about it, it was forced to find a new name for its championship series. Thus, the following 2000-2001 season started with two separate top European professional club basketball competitions: the FIBA SuproLeague (previously known as the FIBA EuroLeague) and the brand new Euroleague 2000-01 season.
The rift in European professional club basketball initially showed no signs of letting up. Top clubs were also split between the two leagues: Panathinaikos, Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv, CSKA Moscow and Efes Pilsen stayed with FIBA, while Olympiacos, Kinder Bologna, Real Madrid Teka, FC Barcelona, Paf Wennington Bologna, ?algiris Kaunas,Benetton Treviso, AEK and Tau Cerámica joined Euroleague Basketball.
In May 2001, Europe had two continental champions, Maccabi of the FIBA SuproLeague and Kinder Bologna of the Euroleague. The leaders of both organizations realized the need to come up with a unified competition. Although only a year old, Euroleague Basketball negotiated from a position of strength and dictated proceedings. FIBA essentially had no choice but to agree to Euroleague Basketball's terms. As a result, European club competition was fully integrated under Euroleague Basketball's umbrella and teams that competed in the FIBA SuproLeague during the 2000-01 season joined it as well.
In essence, the authority in European professional basketball was divided over club-country lines. FIBA stayed in charge of national team competitions (like the FIBA EuroBasket, the FIBA World Cup, and the Summer Olympics), while Euroleague Basketball took over the European professional club competitions. From that point on, FIBA's Kora? Cup and Saporta Cup competitions lasted only one more season before folding, which was when Euroleague Basketball launched the ULEB Cup, now known as the EuroCup.
In November 2015, Euroleague Basketball and IMG agreed on 10-year joint venture. Both Euroleague Basketball and IMG will manage the commercial operation, and the management of all global rights covering both media and marketing.[3] The deal was worth EUR630 million guaranteed over 10 years, with projected revenues reaching EUR900 million.[4] Along with the deal the league changed into a true league format, with 16 teams playing each other team in the regular season followed by the playoffs. The A-licensed club were assured of participation for the following ten years in the new format. After the new format of the EuroLeague and FIBA implementing national team windows, a conflict between the two organizations emerged. EuroLeague has been criticised by FIBA as well as several national federations for creating a 'closed league' and ignoring the principle of meritocracy. In July 2019, EuroLeague announced that from the 2019-20 season there will be no direct assess to the league through domestic leagues anymore.[5]
On 26 July 2010, Turkish Airlines and Euroleague Basketball announced a EUR15 million strategic agreement to sponsor the top European basketball competition across the globe. According to the agreement, starting with the 2010-11 season, the top European competition would be named Turkish Airlines Euroleague Basketball. Similarly, the EuroLeague Final Four would be named the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four, whereby the new league title would appear in all media accordingly. This title partnership was set to run for five seasons, with the option of extending it to an additional five.[6][7] On 23 October 2013, Turkish Airlines and Euroleague Basketball agreed to extend their partnership, up until 2020.[8]
*There were two separate competitions during the 2000-01 season. The SuproLeague, which was organized by FIBA, and the Euroleague, which was organized by Euroleague Basketball.
The EuroLeague operated under a tournament system, from its inaugural 1958 season, through the 2015-16 season.
*There were two separate competitions during the 2000-01 season. The SuproLeague, which was organized by FIBA, and the Euroleague, which was organized by Euroleague Basketball.
Starting with the 2016-17 season, the EuroLeague operates under a league format.
Starting with the 2016-17 season, the EuroLeague is made up of 18 teams, which each play each other twice, once at home and once away, in a double round robin league regular season, each team playing 34 games.
The top 8 placed teams at the end of the regular season advance to playoffs, each playing a 5-game playoff series against a single opponent. The regular season standings are used to determine which teams play each other, and in each pairing the higher placed team has home-court advantage in the series, playing 3 of the 5 games at home. The winners of each of the four playoff series advance to the Final Four, held at a predetermined site. The Final Four features two semifinals, a third place game, and the championship game, all on the same weekend.
Each team plays a maximum 41 games per season: 34 in the regular season, a maximum of 5 during the playoffs, and 2 in the Final Four.
Currently, 11 out of the 18 EuroLeague places are held by licensed clubs that have long-term licenses with Euroleague Basketball, and are members of the Shareholders Executive Board. These eleven licensed clubs are currently:
The remaining 7 EuroLeague places are held by 5 associated clubs that have annual licences and 2 two-year wild cards. The five associated clubs are awarded through one place going to the winner of the previous season's 2nd-tier European competition, the EuroCup, with the other four places going to a combination of European national domestic league winners (ABA League, VTB United League, Basketball Bundesliga, Liga ACB).
Effective as of the 2012-13 season, EuroLeague clubs with what was at the time an "A License" had to host their home EuroLeague games in arenas that have a seating capacity of at least 10,000 people. This same minimum 10,000-seat arena capacity rule, now currently applies to all EuroLeague clubs with a long-term license.
Previously, in 2008, the Euroleague Basketball had originally decided to increase the minimum arena seating requirement to 10,000, within four years time, in order to force EuroLeague clubs to move into and/or build bigger arenas. This was done in hopes of increasing revenues through more ticket sales. Conversely, associated clubs, must currently play in arenas that seat at least 5,000 people.
These are the teams that participate in the 2020-21 EuroLeague season:
Team | Home city | Arena | Capacity |
---|---|---|---|
![]() |
Berlin | Mercedes-Benz Arena | 14,500[10] |
![]() |
Istanbul | Sinan Erdem Dome | 16,000[11] |
![]() |
Milan | Mediolanum Forum | 12,700[12] |
Allianz Cloud | 5,420 | ||
![]() |
Barcelona | Palau Blaugrana | 7,585[13] |
![]() |
Munich | Audi Dome | 6,700[14] |
![]() |
Belgrade | ?tark Arena | 18,386[15] |
Aleksandar Nikoli? Hall | 8,000[16] | ||
![]() |
Moscow | Megasport Arena | 13,344[17] |
![]() |
Istanbul | Ülker Sports and Event Hall | 13,059[18] |
![]() |
Khimki | Mytishchi Arena | 7,280 |
![]() |
Vitoria-Gasteiz | Buesa Arena | 15,504[19] |
![]() |
Villeurbanne | Astroballe | 5,556[20] |
![]() |
Tel Aviv | Menora Mivtachim Arena | 10,383[21] |
![]() |
Piraeus | Peace and Friendship Stadium | 11,640[22] |
![]() |
Marousi | O.A.K.A. | 18,989[23] |
![]() |
Madrid | WiZink Center | 15,000[24] |
![]() |
Valencia | La Fonteta | 9,000[25] |
![]() |
Kaunas | ?algirio Arena | 15,415[26] |
![]() |
Saint Petersburg | Sibur Arena | 7,120[27] |
Rank | Country | Club | Titles | Runners-up |
---|---|---|---|---|
1. | ![]() |
Real Madrid | 10 | 8 |
FC Barcelona | 2 | 5 | ||
Joventut Badalona | 1 | 1 | ||
Baskonia | - | 2 | ||
4 clubs | 13 | 16 | ||
2. | ![]() | |||
Varese | 5 | 5 | ||
Olimpia Milano | 3 | 2 | ||
Virtus Bologna | 2 | 3 | ||
Cantù | 2 | - | ||
Virtus Roma | 1 | - | ||
Treviso | - | 2 | ||
Fortitudo Bologna | - | 1 | ||
7 clubs | 13 | 13 | ||
3. | ![]() |
Panathinaikos | 6 | 1 |
Olympiacos | 3 | 5 | ||
AEK | - | 1 | ||
3 clubs | 9 | 7 | ||
4. | ![]() |
CSKA Moscow | 4 | 3 |
R?gas ASK | 3 | 1 | ||
Dinamo Tbilisi | 1 | 1 | ||
?algiris | - | 1 | ||
4 clubs | 8 | 6 | ||
5. | ![]() ![]() |
Split | 3 | 1 |
Cibona | 2 | - | ||
Bosna | 1 | - | ||
Partizan | 1 | - | ||
4 clubs | 7 | 1 | ||
6. | ![]() |
Maccabi Tel Aviv | 6 | 9 |
7. | ![]() |
CSKA Moscow | 4 | 3 |
8. | ![]() |
Fenerbahçe | 1 | 2 |
Anadolu Efes | - | 1 | ||
2 clubs | 1 | 3 | ||
9. | ![]() |
Limoges CSP | 1 | - |
- | ![]() |
?algiris | 1 | - |
11. | ![]() |
Brno | - | 2 |
USK Praha | - | 1 | ||
2 clubs | 0 | 3 | ||
12. | ![]() |
Academic | - | 2 |
From 2012-13 season, Euroleague Basketball introduced a new innovation in the lobby of team sports. They replaced the second place medals for athletes with a Runner-up trophy for the team, incorporating partially individual sports' way of awarding into a team sport. But rather than the three first places awarding system, they preferred tennis' awarding system of the two finalists. So for the first time in the history of team sports, a runner up team can celebrate a European trophy,[28] just like the silver and bronze medal of Olympic Games Winners, satisfying the common sense of runners-up value.
Various European federations have moved similarly throughout the years. The LEN for example conduct a 3rd place game for the bronze medal.[29]Euroleague conduct a 3rd place game without awarding a medal.
Winners of the Runner-up trophy:[30]
clubs | trophies | years |
---|---|---|
Real Madrid | 2 | 2013, 2014 |
Olympiacos | 2 | 2015, 2017 |
Fenerbahce | 2 | 2016, 2018 |
Anadolu Efes | 1 | 2019 |
Since the beginning of the 2000-01 season (Euroleague Basketball era):
All averages include playoffs and Final Four games.
Season | Total gate | Games | Average | Change | High avg. | Team | Low avg. | Team |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2008-09 | 1,263,578 | 188 | 6,721 | 11,770 | ![]() |
2,460 | ![]() | |
2009-10 | 1,182,046 | 186 | 6,355 | -5.4% | 11,188 | ![]() |
1,440 | ![]() |
2010-11 | 1,383,449 | 185 | 7,478 | +17.7% | 13,926 | ![]() |
3,180 | ![]() |
2011-12 | 1,305,215 | 178 | 7,333 | -1.9% | 13,107 | ![]() |
3,283 | ![]() |
2012-13 | 1,867,145 | 253 | 7,366 | +0.5% | 13,425 | ![]() |
3,110 | ![]() |
2013-14 | 2,063,600 | 248 | 8,130 | +10.4% | 12,578 | ![]() |
3,960 | ![]() |
2014-15 | 2,013,305 | 251 | 8,184 | +0.1% | 14,483 | ![]() |
1,949 | ![]() |
2015-16 | 1,832,920 | 250 | 7,332 | -10.4% | 11,060 | ![]() |
2,809 | ![]() |
2016-17 | 2,194,238 | 259 | 8,472 | +5.4% | 11,633 | ![]() |
3,734 | ![]() |
2017-18 | 2,282,297 | 260 | 8,780 | +3.6% | 13,560 | ![]() |
3,900 | ![]() |
2018-19 | 2,153,445 | 260 | 8,282 | -6.0% | 14,808 | ![]() |
2,691 | ![]() |
2019-20 | 2,138,504 | 222[a] | 8,588 | +3.7% | 14,221 | ![]() |
4,299 | ![]() |
This list shows the averages attendances of each team since the 16-team regular season was established in 2016. All averages include playoffs games.
Season | ALB | EFS | ASV | BAM | BAR | BKN | BAY | BUD | CZV | CSK | DSK | FNB | GAL | GCA | KHI | MTA | MGA | MIL | OLY | PAO | RMA | UNK | VAL | ZAL | ZEN |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
2016-17 | 5,320 | 6,415 | 4,931 | 11,633 | 9,818 | 8,293 | 4,677 | 11,219 | 4,806 | 10,888 | 9,483 | 9,360 | 11,172 | 10,312 | 3,734 | 11,418 | |||||||||
2017-18 | 3,900 | 6,188 | 5,679 | 11,351 | 6,277 | 8,211 | 11,566 | 6,022 | 10,731 | 7,272 | 7,472 | 8,913 | 13,005 | 10,030 | 6,753 | 13,560 | |||||||||
2018-19 | 8,247 | 5,793 | 11,138 | 4,349 | 4,792 | 7,198 | 2,691 | 10,737 | 4,823 | 5,502 | 10,522 | 8,493 | 8,203 | 12,530 | 9,792 | 14,808 | |||||||||
2019-20 | 9,930 | 13,113 | 5,326 | 5,977 | 10,661 | 4,688 | 11,744 | 7,050 | 9,862 | 5,189 | 10,038 | 8,491 | 7,287 | 9,858 | 9,649 | 7,433 | 14,221 | 4,299 |
Rank | Home team | Score | Away team | Attendance | Arena | Date | Ref |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | ![]() |
63-56 | ![]() |
22,567 | Belgrade Arena | March 5, 2009 | [1] |
2 | ![]() |
76-67 | ![]() |
21,367 | Belgrade Arena | April 1, 2010 | [2] |
3 | ![]() |
56-67 | ![]() |
21,352 | Belgrade Arena | March 31, 2009 | [3] |
4 | ![]() |
81-73 | ![]() |
20,783 | Belgrade Arena | March 30, 2010 | [4] |
Note: Match between Panathinaikos and Barcelona on 18 April 2013, at OAKA Sports Center, was supposedly watched by about 30,000 spectators.[39] However, it is not included in the table as the official data is 18,300.[40]
The EuroLeague season is broadcast on television, and can be seen in up to 201 countries and territories.[41] It can be seen by up to 245 million (800 million via satellite) households weekly in China.[42]
It is also televised in the United States and Canada on NBA TV and available online through ESPN3 (in English) and ESPN Deportes (in Spanish) until 2017-18 season. From 2018 to 2019 season, the coverage is moved to FloSports.[43]
The EuroLeague Final Four is broadcast on television in up to 213 countries and territories.[44] The EuroLeague also has its own internet pay TV service, called EuroLeague TV.
|
|
Source:[45][46][47][48][49][50]