Euro basketball chiefs want Champions League-style competition 25/09/2008 |
|
| |
| |
new competition system based on football’s UEFA Champions League has been submitted to the Union of European Basketball Leagues (ULEB) General Assembly held in Paris earlier this week.
ULEB says the new project will involve the participation of 30 teams from 25 countries in a Euroleague; twelve more teams than now, taking into account results in national competitions.
It is understood the proposal would grant additional teams besides the league champion - which would automatically qualify for the group stage - an opportunity to qualify through a preliminary round. Should they fail to go through, they could still participate that season in the EuroCup, ULEB's secondary competition, which this year replaced the ULEB Cup.
Participation will be based on an “aspirational system” with requirements to be fulfilled by the teams including “arenas and sport projects”.
A statement from Union says: “The proposal introduced by ULEB consists of a competition structure of 30 teams, with 22 clubs with direct access (champions of every league will have granted its participation) and 2 qualifying rounds that will grant the participation to 8 more teams. The regular season will consist of 30 teams divided into 5 groups of 6 teams each. Top 16 will be played by the best 3 ranked teams of each group, and the best 4th team of the 5 groups, and it will consist of 4 groups of 4 teams each. The 2 best ranked of each group will play the Playoff, that will be held to the best of three games. Final Four remains as it was, being played in a four days concentration of 4 teams in a city”.
32 teams will play in the second-tier competition, the Eurocup, whereby 24 teams will have direct access and 8 teams will qualify from two previous qualifying rounds. ULEB says the regular season will be divided into 8 groups of 4 teams each. The two best ranked teams of each group will go on to the Top 16, divided into 4 groups of 4 teams each. Final Eight will be played by the 2 best ranked of each group. ULEB is also studying other possible systems to change this last phase of the competition.
ULEB members include Lithuania, Austria, Greece, Spain, Switzerland, Be;gium, England, Poland, France, Italy, Portugal, Netherlands, Germany, Adriatic, Czech Repub;ic and Israel. The leagues will meet next month to discuss the proposal.
(Source: AIPS)
|
| Back |
| |
| |
|
|
 |
Advertisement
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
