Strongest BCL lineup to date ahead of season 5

MIES (Switzerland) – With 41 clubs having finished in the top 8 of their national league, the lineup of the 44 clubs that will participate in the fifth season of the Basketball Champions League is the strongest ever in the history of the competition, with a total of 14 current national champions among the 25 different European countries represented.

The final lineup was validated and confirmed by the Board of Basketball Champions League meeting held via videoconference yesterday evening.

Due to the exceptional circumstances related to the COVID-19 crisis, the BCL Board has decided to grant a Regular Season spot to all teams still competing for the 2019-20 Basketball Champions League title, confirming therefore 28 teams to enter directly in the Regular Season.

The 2020-21 Basketball Champions League will get under way on September 15, with the first of two qualifying rounds, ahead of the Regular Season tip off scheduled for October 13. A total of 32 teams will contest the Regular Season with four qualifiers joining the 28 clubs directly qualified. They will play in four groups of 8 teams each, with the top four in each group going through to best-of-3 Round of 16 and Quarter-Finals that will determine the Final Four. The overall winner will earn the coveted €1 million prize money.

The full line-up is as follows (alphabetically, per country):

Regular Season (alphabetically)

AEK (GRE), Brose Bamberg (GER), Casademont Zaragoza (ESP), Cholet (FRA), Darussafaka Tekfen (TUR), Dinamo Banco di Sardegna Sassari (ITA), ERA Nymburk (CZE), Falco Vulcano Szombathely (HUN), Filou Oostende (BEL), Fortitudo Bologna (ITA), Galatasaray Doga Sigorta (TUR), Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem (ISR), Hapoel Holon (ISR), Happy Casa Brindisi (ITA), Iberostar Tenerife (ESP), JDA Dijon (FRA), Limoges CSP (FRA), Nizhny Novgorod (RUS), Peristeri (GRE), Pinar Karsiyaka (TUR), RETAbet Bilbao (ESP), Rytas Vilnius (LTU), San Pablo Burgos (ESP), SIG Strasbourg (FRA), Start Lublin (POL), Tofas Bursa (TUR), Turk Telekom (TUR), VEF Riga (LAT).

Qualification Rounds (alphabetically)

Anwil Wloclawek (POL), Bakken Bears Aarhus (DEN), Balkan Botevgrad (BUL), Belfius Mons-Hainaut (BEL), Dnipro (UKR), Donar Groningen (NED), Fribourg Olympic (SUI), Hapoel Tel Aviv (ISR), Igokea (BIH), Iraklis (GRE), Keravnos (CYP), London Lions (GBR), Neptunas Klaipeda (LTU), Sporting Clube de Portugal (POR), Tsmoki-Minsk (BLR), U-Banca Transilvania Cluj Napoca (ROU).

“The 2020-21 lineup is evidence that the BCL is continuously growing. It remains true to its mission of delivering a competitive European competition which showcases basketball across the continent and is open to all clubs which qualify on merit through their domestic league performances,” said Basketball Champions League CEO, Patrick Comninos.

An initial draw sorting the Qualification Rounds and the Regular Season phase will take place at the House of Basketball on Wednesday July 15. The ceremony can be followed live on championsleague.basketball from 11:00 (GMT+2).