54 teams unveiled for new ULEB Cup!

Jun 25, 2007 by Euroleague.net Print
The most inclusive basketball tournament ever held in Europe has been unveiled just in time for the 50th anniversary season of continental competitions. The Union of European Basketball Leagues (ULEB) announced on Monday that the new ULEB Cup will have 54 teams in 26 countries during the 2007-08 season. The draw to divide the participants into nine regular season groups of six teams each will be held on Saturday, June 30 in Jesolo, Italy during the weekend of the first ULEB Summer League. The field of 54 teams includes representatives from 11 countries that did not play last season or have never played before in the competition. The incredible demand from leagues and clubs across Europe to be part of the ULEB Cup was not able to be met completely, not even with the inclusion of 54 teams. ULEB wishes to thank both the clubs and national leagues coming to the ULEB Cup next season, and in particular the federations who have understood the situation. ULEB aso wants to apologize to the many others that showed a desire to join the competition but could not be included.

The new ULEB Cup is not only more expansive than any similar tournament before it, but also loaded with winners, past and present. There are 11 current domestic league champions among the 54 teams, including ASK Riga of Latvia, which reappears on the European scene exactly half a century after it won the continent's very first title, at the end of the 1957-58 season. Another 10 teams of the 54 were finalists in their national competitions last season, while 19 more were semifinalists. All told, more than two-thirds of the ULEB Cup's participating teams for 2007-08 either won domestic leagues last season or came within a step of getting that chance. In addition to ASK Riga, there are two former European champions (Bosna of Bosnia-Herzegovina and DKV Joventut of Spain), three former ULEB Cup winners (Pamesa Valencia, Hapoel Jerusalem and Dynamo Moscow) as well as 10 other clubs that have previously raised continental trophies or reached a Euroleague Final Four. The presence of Akasvayu Girona of Spain and Azovmash Mariupol of Ukraine means that three of the four semifinalists from the last FIBA EuroCup - including VidiVici Bologna, which goes to the Euroleague - have been included in ULEB competitions.

Not only past and present winning traditions are served by the new ULEB Cup, but geography, too. A total of 11 national capital cities from Moscow to Madrid will have at least one team each in the 2007-08 edition of the competition. Seven countries are completely new to the competition - Bosnia-Herzegovina, the Czech Republic, Romania, Estonia, Montenegro, Switzerland and Ukraine - while four others - Austria, Croatia, England and Portugal - were among the ones anxious to return after previous experiences in the ULEB Cup. It all adds up to an major effort to spread the news of a growing sport to all corners of Europe. An ambitious project without boundaries except the criteria of great basketball competitiveness is born: the 2007-08 ULEB Cup!

TEAM
COUNTRY/LEAGUE
DOMESTIC RESULTS
KK Crvena Zvezda
ABA Adriatic
Sixth
FMP
ABA Adriatic
Finalist
KK Hemofarm Vrsac
ABA Adriatic
Semifinalist
KK Buducnost
ABA Adriatic
Fifth
Zadar
Croatian League
Finalist
Allianz Swans Gmunden
ÖBL Austria
Champion
Telindus BC Oostende
BLB Belgium
Champion
Spirou Basket
BLB Belgium
Semifinalist
Antwerp Giants
BLB Belgium
Semifinalist
KK Bosna Sarajevo
Bosnian League
Finalist
Guildford Heat
BBL England
Champion
PBC Lukoil Academic Sofia
Bulgarian League
Champion
CEZ Basketball Nymburk
ALKCzech Republic
Champion
BC Kalev
Estonian League
Finalist
SLUC Nancy Basket
LNB France
Finalist
Elan Bearnais Pau-Orthez
LNB France
Ninth
Elan Chalon
LNB France
Semifinalist
Strasbourg
LNB France
Quarterfinalist
Asvel Basket Lyon Villeurbanne
LNB France
Semifinalist
Alba Berlin BasketballTeam
BBL Germany
Quarterfinalist
ENBW Ludwigsburg
BBL Germany
Semifinalist
Deutsche Bank Skyliners
BBL Germany
Thirteenth
RheinEnergie Koln
BBL Germany
Semifinalist
Artland Dragons
BBL Germany
Finalist
Panionios Forthnet
HEBA Greece
Semifinalist
Panellinios G. S.
HEBA Greece
Fifth
Hapoel Jerusalem B.C.
BSLIsrael
Finalist
Hapoel Altshuler Saham Galil Elion
BSLIsrael
Third
Benetton Basket Tamoil
LEGA Italy
11th
Fortitudo Pallacanestro Bologna
LEGA Italy
Thirteenth
ASK Riga
Latvian League
Champion
BK Ventspils
Latvian League
Finalist
Siauliai
LKL Lithuania
Semifinalist
EiffelTowers
FEB Netherlands
Champion
Hanzevast Capitals
FEB Netherlands
Semifinalist
Turow Zgorzelec
PLK Poland
Finalist
Asco Slask Wroclaw
PLK Poland
Semifinalist
Anwil Wloclawek
PLK Poland
Semifinalist
Ovarense Aerosoles
LCB Portugal
Champion
CSU Ploiesti
Romanian League
Champion
Unics Kazan
Russian League
Finalist
BV Khimki Moscow Region
Russian League
Semifinalist
Dynamo Moscow
Russian League
Semifinalist
BV Dynamo Moscow Region
Russian League
Sixth
DKV Joventut
ACB Spain
Semifinalist
Akasvayu Girona
ACB Spain
Fifth
Gran Canaria Grupo Dunas
ACB Spain
Sixth
Pamesa Valencia
ACB Spain
Seventh
Benetton Fribourg Olympic
LNBA Switzerland
Champion
Turk Telekom Sports Club
Turkish League
Semifinalist
Galatasaray Cafe Crown
Turkish League
Semifinalist
Besiktas JK Colaturka
Turkish League
Fifth
Basketball Club Kyiv
Ukranian League
Finalist
BC Azovmash Mariupol
Ukranian League
Champion