FIBA EuroChallenge explained

EuroChallenge
Pixels:	250
Formerly:	FIBA Europe League (2003–2005) FIBA EuroCup (2005–2008)
Sport:	Basketball
Founded:	2003
Folded:	2015
Replaced:	FIBA Europe Cup
Motto:	We Are Basketball
Teams:	32
Promotion:	EuroCup (finalists)
Levels:	3 (2004–15)
Pyramid:	European professional club basketball system
Continent:	FIBA Europe (Europe)
Country:	FIBA Europe member associations
Champion:	Nanterre (1st title)
Most Champs:	12 teams (1 title each)
Website:	EuroChallenge

FIBA EuroChallenge (called the FIBA Europe League in 2003–05, and FIBA EuroCup in 2005–08)^[1] was the 3rd-tier 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 defunct 4th-tier competition, which was also organized and run by FIBA Europe, played between 2002–03 and 2006–07. In 2015, FIBA dissolved the EuroChallenge, in order to start the Basketball Champions League (BCL) and FIBA Europe Cup (FEC), in order to extend opportunities outside the competitions organized by the Euroleague Basketball.^[2]

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. FIBA was aiming to create a competition similar to the former Suproleague to rival the Euroleague. From the 2004–05 season and after FIBA sanctioned the Euroleague and the ULEB Cup, the 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.

Since the 2007-08 and following am agreement between ULEB and FIBA the two EuroChallenge finalists were promoted to the next season's 2nd tier level, the EuroCup competition.

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.^[3]

Final Fours

Year	Final			Semifinalists
Year	width=15%	Champion	width=10%	Score	width=15%	Second place	width=15%	Third place	width=10%	Score	width=15%	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		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		79–65	Triumph Lyubertsy	Gaziantep Royal Halı	87–75	Szolnoki Olaj
2014–15 Details	JSF Nanterre	64–63	Trabzonspor Medical Park	Energia Târgu Jiu	83–80	Fraport Skyliners

Finals/Final Four MVP award winners (2004–2015)

See main article: FIBA EuroChallenge Final Four MVP.

Season	MVP





	Keith Langford



	Tre Simmons

Records and statistics

Performances by club

Performance in the FIBA EuroChallenge by club
scope=col	Club	scope=col	Won	scope=col	Runner-up	scope=col	Years won	scope=col	Years runner-up
scope=row	Krasnye Krylia Samara	1	1	2013	2010
scope=row	Nanterre	1	0	2015	–
scope=row	Pallacanestro Reggiana	1	0	2014	–
scope=row	Beşiktaş	1	0	2012	–
scope=row	Krka Novo mesto	1	0	2011	–
scope=row	BG Göttingen	1	0	2010	–
scope=row	Virtus Bologna	1	0	2009	–
scope=row	Barons LMT	1	0	2008	–
scope=row	Girona	1	0	2007	–
scope=row	Joventut Badalona	1	0	2006	–
scope=row	Dyanmo Saint Petersburg	1	0	2005	–
scope=row	UNICS Kazan	1	0	2004	–
scope=row	Maroussi	0	1	–	2004
scope=row	Kyiv	0	1	–	2005
scope=row	Khimki	0	1	–	2006
scope=row	Azovmash	0	1	–	2007
scope=row	Dexia Mons-Hainaut	0	1	–	2008
scope=row	Cholet	0	1	–	2009
scope=row	Lokomotiv Kuban	0	1	–	2011
scope=row	Élan Chalon	0	1	–	2012
scope=row	Pınar Karşıyaka	0	1	–	2013
scope=row	Triumph Lyubertsy	0	1	–	2014
scope=row	Trabzonspor	0	1	–	2015
Total	12	12

Performances by country

Performance in the FIBA EuroChallenge by country
scope=col	Country	scope=col	Won	scope=col	Runner-up	scope=col	Winning clubs	scope=col	Runners-up
scope=row	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)
scope=row	Italy	2	0	Virtus Bologna (1), Pallacanestro Reggiana (1)	–
scope=row	Spain	2	0	CB Girona (1), Joventut Badalona (1)	–
scope=row	France	1	2	JSF Nanterre (1)	Élan Chalon (1), Cholet Basket (1)
scope=row	Turkey	1	2	Beşiktaş (1)	Pınar Karşıyaka (1), Trabzonspor (1)
scope=row	Germany	1	0	BG Göttingen (1)	–
scope=row	Latvia	1	0	Barons LMT (1)	–
scope=row	Slovenia	1	0	KK Krka (1)	–
scope=row	Ukraine	0	2	–	BC Kyiv (1), BC Azovmash (1)
scope=row	Greece	0	1	–	Maroussi B.C. (1)
scope=row	Belgium	0	1	–	Dexia Mons-Hainaut (1)
Total	12	12

Individual records and statistical leaders

See main article: FIBA EuroChallenge individual records.

See main article: FIBA EuroChallenge individual statistics.

All-Star Game

See main article: FIBA EuroChallenge All-Star Day.

Winning rosters