The FIBA Europe Cup (FEC) is an annual professional basketball competition organised by FIBA for eligible European clubs. It is FIBA Europe's second level competition. Clubs mainly qualify based on their performance in national leagues and cup competitions, although this is not the sole deciding factor. The winner is decided by a two-legged final.
The league was founded in 2015 as a replacement of the FIBA EuroChallenge.
History
On June 30, 2015, FIBA announced it would start a new league to compete with Euroleague Basketball's EuroCup. The new competition, which replaced FIBA EuroChallenge, was supposed to be open for up to 100 teams to enter. A former 4th-tier FIBA competition, the FIBA EuroCup Challenge, was named as the FIBA Europe Cup between 2003 and 2005.
The 2015–16 FIBA Europe Cup attracted 16 domestic champions and 8 runners-up, including KK Cibona, Pallacanestro Cantu, ASVEL, Pallacanestro Varese, CEZ Nymburk, BK Ventspils, PBC Academic and Krka. The first FIBA Europe Cup game was played on October 21, 2015, when Donar Groningen beat Egis Körmend 78–71. Frankfurt Skyliners won the 1st edition in a Final Four tournament and represented Europe in the 2016 FIBA Intercontinental Cup, following the FIBA-EuroLeague dispute. In the 2016–17 season, FIBA started the Basketball Champions League and since then clubs from the Champions League can be transferred to the Europe Cup through their position.
Format Tournament The tournament proper begins with a regular season of 48 clubs divided into 8 groups. Seeding is used whilst making the draw for this stage, whilst clubs from the same country may not be drawn together. Each club meets the others in home and away games, in a round-robin format. The winner and runner-up from each group progress to the second round, with 16 clubs divided into 4 groups. For the play-offs, the winner runner-up from each group play a two-legged format. Until 2019, the fifth and sixth-placed clubs were dropped from the Basketball Champions League regular season.
Finals The Finals were played in either a Final Four tournament format or with a two-legged series.
YearFinalSemifinalistsChampionScoreSecond placeThird placeScoreFourth place2015–16DetailsFraport Skyliners66–62Openjobmetis VareseÉlan Chalon103–72Enisey2016–17DetailsNanterre 92140–137Élan Chalon Telekom Baskets Bonn and Telenet Oostende2017–18DetailsUmana Reyer Venezia158–148Sidigas Avellino Donar and Bakken Bears2018–19DetailsBanco di Sardegna Sassari170–163s.Oliver Würzburg Hapoel Holon and OpenjobMetis Varese2019–20DetailsCurtailed and voided due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Europe Semi-finalists: Bahçeşehir Koleji, Bakken Bears, medi Bayreuth and Pınar Karşıyaka2020–21DetailsIroni Nes Ziona82–74Arged BMSLAM StalCSM Oradea85–76Parma2021–22DetailsBahçeşehir Koleji162–143UnaHotels Reggio Emilia Bakken Bears and ZZ Leiden2022–23DetailsAnwil Włocławek161–155Cholet Kalev/Cramo and Karhu2023–24DetailsNiners Chemnitz180–179Bahçeşehir Koleji Itelyum Varese and Surne Bilbao Basket2024–25DetailsSurne Bilbao Basket154–149PAOK mateco Cholet and JDA Dijon2025–26DetailsSurne Bilbao Basket162–153PAOK Falco Szombathely and UCAM Murcia
Performance by club
A total number of 140 clubs from 38 FIBA member countries have participated in the competition. The competition has been won by eight clubs from seven countries. Clubs from Italy have been most successful, as 2 won the title and 3 other finished as runners-up.
Statistics All-time leaders Statistics as of 11 June 2022
Players in bold were active in the most recent FIBA Europe Cup season.
Points RankPlayerNationPointsGamesPer gameYearsClub(s)1Michel Diouf9317612.32015Bakken Bears2Trae Golden8975117.62015ETHA Engomis, ESSM Le Portel, Avtodor, Bahçeşehir Koleji3Darko Jukić7287111.82015Bakken Bears4Worthy de Jong7825114.32015–2022ZZ Leiden5Ryan Evans6164612.42018–Bakken Bears
Rebounds Rank PlayerNation Rebounds GamesPer gameYearsClub(s) 1Michel Diouf463736.32015–Bakken Bears2Tony Taylor318368.82016–Enisey, Karşıyaka3Darko Jukić308744.22015–Bakken Bears4Željko Šakić291426.92015–2022Cluj-Napoca, Avtodor5Thomas Koenis279525.42015–2022ZZ Leiden, Donar
Assists Rank PlayerNation Assists GamesPer gameYearsClub(s) 1Trae Golden298515.82015–ETHA Engomis, ESSM Le Portel, Avtodor, Bahçeşehir Koleji2John Roberson318368.82016–Élan Chalon, ASVEL, Enisey3Adama Darboe229603.82015–Bakken Bears4Worthy de Jong208514.12015–2022ZZ Leiden5Tony Taylor188498.82016–Enisey, Karşıyaka
Single game records
Category Efficiency Chase Fieler 46 Points John Roberson 39 Spencer Butterfield Rebounds Travis Taylor 21 Assists Teemu Rannikko Steals Kim Adams 9 Blocks Dejan Kravić 6 Janar Talts Three-pointers Spencer Butterfield 11 Source: FIBA Europe Cup As of 2 May 2017.
Awards
After each round, the FIBA Europe Cup awards the "Top Performer" honour to the best player of the given round. In its inaugural season, in 2016, the competition had a Final Four MVP award for the best player of its final four. The final four format was later abandoned in favor of playoffs with two-legged finals. Since 2020, the league awards a Final MVP trophy again.
Finals MVP
Winning coaches and captains +YearCoachTeamCaptain2016 Gordon HerbertFraport Skyliners Quantez Robertson 2017 Pascal DonnadieuNanterre 92 Heiko Schaffartzik 2018 Walter De RaffaeleUmana Reyer Venezia Tomas Ress 2019 Gianmarco PozzeccoDinamo Sassari Giacomo Devecchi 2021 Brad GreenbergIroni Nes Ziona Tal Dunne 2022 Erhan ErnakBahçeşehir Koleji Oğuz Savaş 2023 Przemysław FrasunkiewiczAnwil Włocławek Kamil Łączyński 2024 Rodrigo PastoreNiners Chemnitz Jonas Richter 2025 Jaume PonsarnauBilbao Basket Xavi Rabaseda 2026 Jaume PonsarnauBilbao Basket Tryggvi Hlinason
Winning rosters
See also Men's competitions Basketball Champions League EuroLeague EuroCup Basketball
Women's competitions EuroLeague Women EuroCup Women FIBA Europe SuperCup Women
References
External links