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| FIBA EuroChallenge | |
| FIBA EuroChallenge | |
| Country | FIBA Europe member associations |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2003 |
| Folded | 2015 |
| Number of teams | 32 |
| Promotion to | EuroCup – 2nd tier (Finalists) |
| Levels on pyramid | 3 |
| Website | [EuroChallenge Official website] |
FIBA EuroChallenge (called the FIBA Europe League in 2003–05, and FIBA EuroCup in 2005–08)[1] 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 (FEC), in order to compete with the EuroLeague and EuroCup competitions, which are organized by the rival Euroleague Basketball.[2]
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.[3]
References and notes[]
- ↑ "ULEB, FIBA Europe announce new competitions names, formats – News – Welcome to Eurocup.". http://www.ulebcup.com/ulebcup/home/news/i/33556/448/item.
- ↑ "FIBA Europe Board pushes ahead with attractive club competitions model - FIBA.basketball". http://www.fiba.com/news/fiba-europe-board-pushes-ahead-with-attractive-club-competitions-model1.
- ↑ "FIBA Europe Board pushes ahead with attractive club competitions model - FIBA.basketball". http://www.fiba.com/news/fiba-europe-board-pushes-ahead-with-attractive-club-competitions-model1.
External links[]
Template:EuroChallenge seasons Template:EuroChallenge Final Four MVP Template:Basketball in Europe Template:Men's professional basketball leagues Template:European basketball cups