FIBA EuroChallenge

FIBA EuroChallenge (called the FIBA Europe League in 2003–05, and FIBA EuroCup in 2005–08)[2] was the 3rd-tier level transnational men's professional continental club basketball competition in Europe, from 2003 to 2015. It was organized and run by FIBA Europe. It is not to be confused with the FIBA EuroCup Challenge – the now defunct 4th-tier level transnational men's professional continental 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, in order to start the Basketball Champions League (BCL) and FIBA Europe Cup, in order to compete with the EuroLeague and EuroCup competitions, which are organized by the rival EuroLeague Basketball.[3]

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	3
Promotion to	EuroCup – 2nd tier (Finalists)
Official website	EuroChallenge

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. From the 2004–05 season, EuroChallenge was 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 self-anointed second-tier competition, called the Basketball Champions League (BCL), in an attempt to compete with the EuroCup.[4]

Final Fours

Year		Final				Semifinalists
		Champion	Score	Second place		Third place	Score	Fourth place
2003–04 Details		UNICS	87–63	Maroussi TIM		Hapoel Tel Aviv	112–104	Ural Great Perm
2004–05 Details		Dynamo Saint Petersburg	85–74	Kyiv		Khimki	86–79	Fenerbahçe
2005–06 Details		DKV Joventut	88–63	Khimki		Kyiv	83–81	Dynamo Saint Petersburg
2006–07 Details		Akasvayu Girona	79–72	Azovmash		VidiVici Bologna	82–60	MMT Estudiantes
2007–08 Details		Barons LMT	63–62	Dexia Mons-Hainaut		Proteas EKA AEL	79–70	Tartu Ülikool Rock
2008–09 Details		Virtus BolognaFiere	77–75	Cholet		Triumph Lyubertsy	94–82	Proteas EKA AEL
2009–10 Details		Göttingen	83–75	Krasnye Krylia		Chorale Roanne	86–80	Scavolini Spar Pesaro
2010–11 Details		Krka	83–77	Lokomotiv Kuban		Telenet Oostende	94–92	Spartak Saint Petersburg
2011–12 Details		Beşiktaş Milangaz	91–86	Élan Chalon		Triumph Lyubertsy	94–87	Szolnoki Olaj
2012–13 Details		Krasnye Krylia	77–76	Pinar Karşıyaka		EWE Baskets	84–76	Gravelines
2013–14 Details		Grissin Bon Reggio Emilia	79–65	Triumph Lyubertsy		Gaziantep Royal Halı	87–75 (OT)	Szolnoki Olaj
2014–15 Details		JSF Nanterre	64–63	Trabzonspor Medical Park		Energia Târgu Jiu	83–80	Fraport Skyliners

All-time EuroChallenge Finals/Final Four MVP award winners (2004–2015)

Main article: FIBA EuroChallenge Final Four MVP

Season	MVP
2003–04	Martin Müürsepp
2004–05	Kelly McCarty
2005–06	Rudy Fernández
2006–07	Ariel McDonald
2007–08	Giedrius Gustas
2008–09	Keith Langford
2009–10	Taylor Rochestie
2010–11	Goran Ikonić
2011–12	Pops Mensah-Bonsu
2012–13	Tre Simmons
2013–14	Andrea Cinciarini
2014–15	Jamal Shuler

Records and statistics

Performances by club

The 2013 EuroChallenge trophy, which was won by Krasnye Krylya.

Performance in the FIBA EuroChallenge 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
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
Total	12	12

Performances by country

Performance in the FIBA EuroChallenge 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)
Total	12	12

Individual records and statistical leaders

Main article: FIBA EuroChallenge individual records

Main article: FIBA EuroChallenge individual statistics

All-Star Game

Winning rosters

FIBA Europe League

FIBA EuroCup

FIBA EuroChallenge

References and notes

2. "ULEB, FIBA Europe announce new competitions names, formats – News – Welcome to Eurocup". Archived from the original on 2008-07-22. Retrieved 2008-07-03.

External links

• FIBA EuroChallenge official website