FIBA EuroChallenge

EuroChallenge
	Primary logo (2013–2015)
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 ; (1 title each)
Level on pyramid	3 (2004–15)
Promotion to	EuroCup (finalists)
Official website	EuroChallenge

FIBA EuroChallenge (called the FIBA Europe League in 2003–05, and FIBA EuroCup in 2005–08)^[2] 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.^[3]

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.^[4]

Final Fours

Year	Champion	Score	Second place	Third place	Score	Fourth place
Year	Final			Semifinalists
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

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

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

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

All-Star Game

Winning rosters

FIBA Europe League

FIBA EuroCup