Total League

The Nationale 1 Hommes, officially named the Total League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest men's basketball league in Luxembourg. The league's governing body is Fédération Luxembourgeoise de Basketball (FLBB).[1] Prior to the 2012–13 season, the league was known as the Diekirch League.[2]

For the Luxembourgian women's basketball league, see Nationale 1 Dames.

Total League

Upcoming season or competition: 2019–20 Total League season
Sport	Basketball
Founded	1933
No. of teams	10
Country	Luxembourg
Continent	Europe
Most recent champion(s)	Etzella (15th title)
Most titles	Nitia (16 titles)
Sponsor(s)	Total
Level on pyramid	1
Relegation to	Nationale 2
Domestic cup(s)	Luxembourg Cup
Official website	flbb.lu/totalleague

About

As the league is semi-professional, all clubs are run as not-for-profit.[3] Each team in the league is allowed to have two American players on the roster. While most local players do not receive a salary, American players are paid.[4][5]

There are two player statuses: JICL (French acronym for "player registered with a Luxembourgian club") and non-JICL. To be classified as JICL, a player has to have obtained a license from a FLBB club before their 16th birthday, or have one for at least three seasons between their 16th and 21st birthday. Prior to the 2013–14 season, each team was only allowed two non-JICL players, no exceptions. In July 2013, the European Commission adjudged the ruling was contrary to the Schengen Agreement.[6] Following that decision, the rule was scrapped and replaced by a gentlemen's agreement to keep the number at two, though some have signed a third non-JICL player, arguing they were part-time players.[5]

Format

During the regular season, each team plays the other nine teams twice, one at home and one away (10 teams, 18 games, 18 rounds). After this, the top six teams move on to the second stage, where they play a further 10 games against each other. The top four teams at the conclusion of the second stage move on to the playoffs. In the semi-finals, the No. 1 seed plays the No. 4 seed, and the No. 2 seed plays the No. 3 seed. The winner of each best-of-three semi-final moves on to the Finals series to decide the title (also best-of-three).[7]

Meanwhile, the bottom four teams after the regular season join the best four teams from the second-tier Nationale 2 to play for relegation and promotion respectively. The two worst ranked Total League teams are relegated whilst the two best Nationale 2 teams are promoted.

Current clubs

Current clubs
Club[lower-alpha 1]	City	Arena	Founded	Last title	Web links
AB Contern	Contern	Hall sportif "Um Ewent"	1956	2009	Team	FLBB	FIBA
Amicale Steesel	Steinsel	Hall omnisports "Alain Marchetti"	1947	2016	Team	FLBB	FIBA
Racing Luxembourg	Luxembourg	Centre sportif Tramsschapp	1950	2000	Team	FLBB	FIBA
Basket Esch	Esch-sur-Alzette	Hall omnisport Esch-sur-Alzette	1959	Never	Team		FLBB
Etzella Ettelbruck	Ettelbruck	Centre sportif du Deich	1934	2006	Team	FLBB	FIBA
Musel Pikes	Stadtbredimus	Sporthal Stadbriedemes	2000	Never	Team		FLBB
Résidence Walferdange	Walferdange	Centre Prince Henri	1965	1997	Team	FLBB	FIBA
Sparta Bertrange	Bertrange	Centre Atert	1935	2012	Team	FLBB	FIBA
T71 Dudelange	Dudelange	Salle Fos Grimler	1971	2015	Team	FLBB	FIBA
Union Sportive Hiefenech	Heffingen	Centre sportif Heffingen	1959	1996	Team	FLBB	FIBA

Former clubs
Club	City	Arena	Founded	Last season	Last title	Web links
Arantia Larochette	Larochette	Hall sportif Centre Filano	1964	2017	Never	Team		FLBB
Black Star Mersch	Mersch	Hall omnisports Mersch	1934	2015	1968	Team	FLBB	FIBA
Nitia Bettembourg	Bettembourg	Centre sportif Bettembourg	1932	2012	1953	Team		FLBB
AS Soleuvre	Soleuvre	Centre sportif "Roger Krier"	1937	2017	2002	Team	FLBB	FIBA
B.C. Mess	Mondercange	Complexe sportif Mondercange	1967	2007	Never	Team	FLBB	FIBA

Title holders

1933–34: Nitia 1934–35: Nitia 1935–36: Nitia 1936–37: Nitia 1937–38: Nitia 1938–39: Nitia 1939–40: Nitia 1940–44: Not held 1944–45: Nitia 1945–46: Nitia 1946–47: Nitia 1947–48: Nitia 1948–49: Nitia 1949–50: Nitia 1950–51: Nitia 1951–52: Black Boys Kayl 1952–53: Nitia 1953–54: Nitia 1954–55: Etzella 1955–56: Etzella 1956–57: Etzella 1957–58: Sparta Bertrange 1958–59: Rou'de Le'w Kayl 1959–60: Sparta Bertrange 1960–61: Etzella 1961–62: Etzella 1962–63: Etzella 1963–64: Etzella 1964–65: Etzella 1965–66: Black Star Mersch

1966–67: Racing Luxembourg 1967–68: Black Star Mersch 1968–69: Sparta Bertrange 1969–70: Etzella 1970–71: Amicale Steesel 1971–72: Etzella 1972–73: Amicale Steesel 1973–74: Sparta Bertrange 1974–75: T71 Dudelange 1975–76: T71 Dudelange 1976–77: T71 Dudelange 1977–78: Amicale Steesel 1978–79: Sparta Bertrange 1979–80: Amicale Steesel 1980–81: Amicale Steesel 1981–82: T71 Dudelange 1982–83: T71 Dudelange 1983–84: T71 Dudelange 1984–85: T71 Dudelange 1985–86: Sparta Bertrange 1986–87: Sparta Bertrange 1987–88: Contern 1988–89: Union Sportive Hiefenech 1989–90: Union Sportive Hiefenech 1990–91: Union Sportive Hiefenech 1991–92: Etzella 1992–93: Résidence 1993–94: Résidence 1994–95: Résidence 1995–96: Union Sportive Hiefenech

1996–97: Résidence 1997–98: Racing Luxembourg 1998–99: Etzella 1999–00: Racing Luxembourg 2000–01: Contern 2001–02: Soleuvre 2002–03: Etzella 2003–04: Contern 2004–05: Sparta Bertrange 2005–06: Etzella 2006–07: Sparta Bertrange 2007–08: Sparta Bertrange 2008–09: Contern 2009–10: T71 Dudelange 2010–11: T71 Dudelange 2011–12: Sparta Bertrange 2012–13: T71 Dudelange 2013–14: T71 Dudelange 2014–15: T71 Dudelange 2015–16: Amicale Steesel 2016–17: Amicale Steesel 2017–18: Amicale Steesel 2018–19: Etzella

Source:[8]

Latest finals

Season	Winner	Runner-up	Score
2003–04	Contern	Sparta Bertrange	2–0
2004–05	Sparta Bertrange	Etzella	2–1
2005–06	Etzella	Sparta Bertrange	2–0
2006–07	Sparta Bertrange	T71 Dudelange	2–0
2007–08	Sparta Bertrange	Musel Pikes	2–0
2008–09	Contern	Musel Pikes	2–1
2009–10	T71 Dudelange	Sparta Bertrange	2–1
2010–11	T71 Dudelange	Etzella	2–1
2011–12	Sparta Bertrange	T71 Dudelange	2–0
2012–13	T71 Dudelange	Amicale	2–0
2013–14	T71 Dudelange	Amicale	2–1
2014–15	T71 Dudelange	Amicale	2–1
2015–16	Amicale	Musel Pikes	2–0
2016–17	Amicale	Musel Pikes	2–1
2017–18	Amicale	Etzella	3–0
2018–19	Etzella	T71 Dudelange	3–1

Performance by club

Club	Titles	Years
Nitia	16	1933–34, 1934–35, 1935–36, 1936–37, 1937–38, 1938–39, 1939–40, 1944–45, 1945–46, 1946–47, 1947–48, 1948–49, 1949–50, 1950–51, 1952–53, 1953–54
Etzella	15	1954–55, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1969–70, 1971–72, 1991–92, 1998–99, 2002–03, 2005–06, 2018–19
T71 Dudelange	12	1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15
Sparta Bertrange	11	1957–58, 1959–60, 1968–69, 1973–74, 1978–79, 1985–86, 1986–87, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2011–12
Amicale	8	1970–71, 1972–73, 1977–78, 1979–80, 1980–81, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18
Contern	4	1987–88, 2000–01, 2003–04, 2008–09
Hiefenech	4	1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1995–96
Résidence	4	1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1996–97
Racing Luxembourg	3	1966–67, 1997–98, 1999–00
Black Star Mersch	2	1965–66, 1967–68
Black Boys Kayl	1	1951–52
Rou'de Le'w Kayl	1	1958–59
Soleuvre	1	2001–02

European competition

Luxembourgian clubs have not participated in European competition since 2002, the last year FIBA organised the FIBA Saporta Cup, with the FLBB bemoaning the separation between FIBA Europe and ULEB and the move away from a single-elimination format.[1] Some of the requirements for participation in the FIBA-organised European third-tier EuroChallenge that restrict their participation are: a €5,000 registration fee notwithstanding other costs, an arena that seats at least 2000 without non-basketball lines, and games played on weekdays.[9]

Highlights

Competition	Team	Opponent(s)	Round(s)	Home	Away	Aggregate
Champions Cup 1958	Etzella	Royal IV	Group stage	43 – 82[lower-alpha 2]	36 – 63	79 – 145
Cup Winners' Cup 1974	Sparta Bertrange	Paisley BC Steaua București	Second round[lower-alpha 3] Round of 16	105 – 93 77 – 108	64 – 51 77 – 117	169–144 154–225
Champions Cup 1978	T71 Dudelange	Bayer 04 Leverkusen Real Madrid GC Figueirense	Group stage	78 – 85 63 – 94 96 – 87	71 – 97 60 – 118 65 – 69	3rd/4 teams
Champions Cup 1979	Amicale	Sporting Emerson Varese	Group stage	87 – 82 68 – 108	99 – 94 71 – 123	2nd/3 teams
Champions Cup 1991	Telekurs Hiefenech	BSG AdW Berlin FC Barcelona	First round Round of 16	98 – 84 73 – 113	92 – 96 77 – 117	190–180 150–230
Korać Cup 1994	Telekurs Hiefenech	Cardiff Bay Heat EnBW Ludwigsburg	First round Second round	78 – 72 80 – 86	89 – 79 69 – 105	167–151 149–191

Notes

1. Official names in French as per linguistic rules.
2. First European Champions Cup game ever played.
3. First round bye.

References

1. Présentation de la FLBB (in French)
2. Luxembourg league gets new sponsor
3. STATUTS ET REGLEMENTS (in French)
4. Braintree's Ryan Sharry lighting it up on the court in Luxembourg
5. 19 von 20 Profis kommen aus den USA (in German)
6. EU-Kommission beanstandet JICL-Regelung (in German)
7. Luxembourg Basketball 2015–16
8. List of Champions of Luxembourg; Luxembourg Basketball Federation.
9. T71 will not play in a European competition

External links

• Luxembourg Basketball at eurobasket.com
• Luxembourg Basketball news at basketnews.lu