From Eurocup to Basketball Champions League. The transition of European teams
As I wrote before, the Eurocup is going down every year in front of the new European competition organized by FIBA. The teams are leaving the sinking old boat for joining the more democratic Basketball Champions League. But let’s see the true facts speaking for themselves:
- there is no Greek team involved in Eurocup: Aek Athens, PAOK and Aris have left the competition. This year Aris played in the Fiba Europe Cup, but another Greek team, Promitheas is making history in BCL
- Besiktas, Banvit and Pinar Karsiaka (Turkey) has left Eurocup for BCL, even if this season Pinar plays in Fiba Europe Cup
- Fuenlabrada and Murcia (Spain) migrated from Eurocup to the newcomer BCL
- Nanterre, Strasbourg, Le Mans and Dijon (France) preferred Basketball Champions League to Eurocup
- Ludwigsburg, Telekom Bonn and ex-Euroleague powerhouse Brose Bamberg (Germany) took the same path
- Hapoel Jerusalem (Israel), Oostende (Belgium), Ventspils (Latvia), Petrol Olimpija (Slovenia), CEZ Nymburk (Czech Republic), Umana Venezia (Italy), Neptunas (Lithuania), Nizhny Novgorod and Avtodor Saratov (both from Russia, the 2nd playing in Fiba Europe Cup) joined BCL instead of Eurocup where they previously activated
All these changes make a big difference between the 2 competitions. Eurocup is losing ground and representativity every year and the organizers are forced to invite weak teams just to complete the “roster” of the groups, meanwhile Basketball Champions League is growing on all levels.
Gratian Cormos, info@brainbasketball.net
