EuroChallenge
|
Primary logo (2013–2015)[1] | |
| Formerly |
FIBA Europe League (2003–2005) FIBA EuroCup (2005–2008) |
|---|---|
| Sport | Basketball |
| Founded | 2003 |
| Ceased | 2015 |
| Replaced by | FIBA Europe Cup |
| Motto | We Are Basketball |
| No. of teams | 32 |
| Country | FIBA Europe member associations |
| Continent |
 FIBA Europe (Europe) |
| Last champion(s) |
 Nanterre (1st title) |
| Most titles |
12 teams from 8 countries (1 title each) |
| Level on pyramid | 3rd Tier on European Pyramid |
| Promotion to | Eurocup – 2nd tier (Finalists) |
| Official website | EuroChallenge |
EuroChallenge (called the FIBA Europe League in 2003–05, and EuroCup in 2005–08)[2] was the 3rd tier level transnational men's professional club basketball competition in Europe. It was organized and run by FIBA Europe. It is not to be confused with the EuroCup Challenge – the now defunct 4th tier level transnational men's professional club basketball competition in Europe, which was also organized and run by FIBA Europe, and played during the 2002–03 to 2006–07 seasons. In 2015, FIBA dissolved the EuroChallenge to start a new second-tier competition, the FIBA Europe Cup, to compete with the Eurocup.[3]
Eurocup promotion
Each season's two EuroChallenge finalists were promoted to the next season's 2nd tier level, the Eurocup competition.
History
The competition was created in 2003, following the defections of most of the top European basketball teams from the former FIBA SuproLeague, which heralded the formation of the new version of the Turkish Airlines Euroleague, under the umbrella of Euroleague Basketball. Since the 2004–05 season, EuroChallenge is considered to be the 3rd strongest international professional basketball competition for men's clubs in Europe, after both the Turkish Airlines Euroleague and the Eurocup (both of which fall under the supervision of Euroleague Basketball). Though, during the first two seasons of the competition's coexistence with the Eurocup, the EuroChallenge (under the name FIBA Europe League) was favored by Italian, Russian and Greek teams, making both competitions quite comparable in strength.
In 2015, FIBA Europe dissolved the EuroChallenge to start a new second-tier competition, in an attempt to compete with Eurocup Basketball.[4]
Final Fours
All-time Eurochallenge Finals/Final Four MVP award winners (2004–2015)
Winning rosters
FIBA Europe League
2003–04 UNICS Kazan (Russia): Chris Anstey, Saulius Štombergas, Martin Müürsepp, Eurelijus Žukauskas, LaMarr Greer, Petr Samoylenko, Valentin Kubrakov, Nikolai Khryapa, Alexander Miloserdov, Aleksei Zozulin, Victor Keyru, Alexei Lobanov, Vladimir Shevel, Taras Osipov (Head Coach: Stanislav Eremin)
2004–05 Dynamo St. Petersburg (Russia): Kelly McCarty, Ed Cota, Ognjen Aškrabić, Jón Arnór Stefánsson, Vladimir Veremeenko, Andrei Ivanov, Vladimir Shevel, Denis Khloponin, David Bluthenthal, Mate Milisa, Andrei Sepelev, Igor Krotenkov, Anatoli Goritskov, Dramir Zibirov (Head Coach: David Blatt)
EuroCup
2005–06 Joventut Badalona (Spain): Rudy Fernández, Elmer Bennett, Luboš Bartoň, Andrew Betts, Paco Vázquez, Álex Mumbrú, Robert Archibald, Jesse Young, Aloysius Anagonye, Marcelinho Huertas, Dmitry Flis, Andre Turner, Ricky Rubio, Pau Ribas, Henk Norel (Head Coach: Aíto García Reneses)
2006–07 Akasvayu Girona (Spain): Ariel McDonald, Bootsy Thornton, Gregor Fučka, Fernando San Emeterio, Dainius Šalenga, Marko Marinović, Germán Gabriel, Marc Gasol, Darryl Middleton, Dalibor Bagarić, Víctor Sada, Marko Kešelj (Head Coach: Svetislav Pešić)
2007–08 Barons LMT Riga (Latvia): Demetrius Alexander, Giedrius Gustas, Armands Šķēle, Dainius Adomaitis, Michal Hlebowicki, J. P. Batista, Raimonds Vaikulis, Mārtiņš Kravčenko, Kaspars Bērziņš, Artūrs Brūniņš, Rinalds Sirsniņš, Rūdolfs Rozītis (Head Coach: Kārlis Muižnieks)
EuroChallenge
2008–09 Virtus Bologna (Italy): Sharrod Ford, Petteri Koponen, Brett Blizzard, Jamie Arnold, Alex Righetti, Earl Boykins, Guilherme Giovannoni, Roberto Chiacig, Keith Langford, Riccardo Malagoli, Dušan Vukčević, Reyshawn Terry, Federico Lestini, Dimitri Lauwers (Head Coach: Matteo Boniciolli)
2009–10 BG Göttingen (Germany): Robert Kulawick, Christopher McNaughton, Tobias Welzel, Taylor Rochestie, John Little, Ben Jacobson, Chester Frazier, Michael Meeks, Jason Boone, Dwayne Anderson, Chris Oliver, Antoine Jordan (Head Coach: John Patrick)
2010–11 KK Krka (Slovenia): Goran Ikonić, Matej Rojc, Simon Petrov, Edo Murić, Smiljan Pavič, Dušan Đorđević, Zoran Dragić, Chris Booker, Bojan Krivec, Dragiša Drobnjak, Jure Balažič (Head Coach: Aleksandar Džikić)
2011–12 Beşiktaş (Turkey): Mehmet Yagmur, Baris Hersek, Kartal Ozmizrak, Zoran Erceg, Mehmet Ali Yatagan, Adem Oren, Serhat Cetin, Marcelus Kemp, Carlos Arroyo, David Hawkins, Erwin Dudley, Pops Mensah-Bonsu (Head Coach: Ergin Ataman)
2012–13 BC Krasnye Krylia (Russia): Omar Thomas, Dmitry Kulagin, Viktor Zaryazhko, Lamayn Wilson, Jevgenij Vasiljev, Andre Smith, Chester Simmons, Anton Pushkov, Nikita Balashov, DeJuan Collins, Evgeny Kolesnikov, Miles (Head Coach: Sergei Bazarevich)
2013-14 Pallacanestro Reggiana (Italy): Federico Mussini, Ariel Filloy, Angelo Gigli, Rimantas Kaukenas, Andrea Cinciarini, Ojars Silins, Riccardo Cervi, James White, Greg Brunner, Michele Antonutti, Matteo Frassineti, Giovanni Pini, Troy Bell (Head Coach: Massimiliano Menetti)
2014-15 JSF Nanterre (France): Jamal Shuler, Mykal Riley, Kyle Weems, T.J. Campbell, Mouhammadou Jaiteh, Jeremy Nzeulie, Joseph Gomis, Johan Passave-Ducteil, Laurence Ekperigin, William Mensah, Marc Judith (Head Coach: Pascal Donadieu)
Records and statistics
Performances by club
| Club | Won | Runner-up | Years won | Years runner-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
 Krasnye Krylia Samara |
1 | 1 | 2013 | 2010 |
| Nanterre |
1 | 0 | 2015 | – |
 Pallacanestro Reggiana |
1 | 0 | 2014 | – |
 Beşiktaş |
1 | 0 | 2012 | – |
 Krka Novo mesto |
1 | 0 | 2011 | – |
 BG Göttingen |
1 | 0 | 2010 | – |
| Virtus Bologna |
1 | 0 | 2009 | – |
 Barons LMT |
1 | 0 | 2008 | – |
 Girona |
1 | 0 | 2007 | – |
| Joventut Badalona |
1 | 0 | 2006 | – |
| Dyanmo Saint Petersburg |
1 | 0 | 2005 | – |
| UNICS Kazan |
1 | 0 | 2004 | – |
 Maroussi |
0 | 1 | – | 2004 |
 Kyiv |
0 | 1 | – | 2005 |
| Khimki |
0 | 1 | – | 2006 |
| Azovmash |
0 | 1 | – | 2007 |
.svg.png){kind=small} Dexia Mons-Hainaut |
0 | 1 | – | 2008 |
| Cholet |
0 | 1 | – | 2009 |
| Lokomotiv Kuban |
0 | 1 | – | 2011 |
| Élan Chalon |
0 | 1 | – | 2012 |
| Pınar Karşıyaka |
0 | 1 | – | 2013 |
| Triumph Lyubertsy |
0 | 1 | – | 2014 |
| Trabzonspor |
0 | 1 | – | 2015 |
Performances by country
| Country | Won | Runner-up | Winning clubs | Runners-up |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Russia |
3 | 4 | Krasnye Krylia Samara (1), BC Dynamo Saint Petersburg (1), UNICS Kazan (1) | Krasnye Krylia Samara (1), Lokomotiv Kuban (1), BC Khimki (1), Triumph Lyubertsy (1) |
| Italy |
2 | 0 | Virtus Bologna (1), Pallacanestro Reggiana (1) | – |
| Spain |
2 | 0 | CB Girona (1), Joventut Badalona (1) | – |
| France |
1 | 2 | JSF Nanterre (1) | Élan Chalon (1), Cholet Basket (1) |
| Turkey |
1 | 2 | Beşiktaş (1) | Pınar Karşıyaka (1), Trabzonspor (1) |
| Germany |
1 | 0 | BG Göttingen (1) | – |
| Latvia |
1 | 0 | Barons LMT (1) | – |
| Slovenia |
1 | 0 | KK Krka (1) | – |
| Ukraine |
0 | 2 | – | BC Kyiv (1), BC Azovmash (1) |
| Greece |
0 | 1 | – | Maroussi B.C. (1) |
| Belgium |
0 | 1 | – | Dexia Mons-Hainaut (1) |
See also
References and notes
External links
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