Sport Basketball Ceased 2015 Motto We Are Basketball | Founded 2003 Replaced by FIBA Europe Cup | |
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Formerly FIBA Europe League (2003–2005)
FIBA EuroCup (2005–2008) | ||
EuroChallenge (called the FIBA Europe League in 2003–05, and EuroCup in 2005–08) was the 3rd tier level transnational men's professional club basketball competition in Europe. It was organized and run by FIBA Europe. It is not to be confused with the EuroCup Challenge – the now defunct 4th tier level transnational men's professional club basketball competition in Europe, which was also organized and run by FIBA Europe, and played during the 2002–03 to 2006–07 seasons. In 2015, FIBA dissolved the EuroChallenge to start a new second-tier competition, the FIBA Europe Cup, to compete with the Eurocup.
Contents
Eurocup promotion
Each season's two EuroChallenge finalists were promoted to the next season's 2nd tier level, the Eurocup competition.
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. Since the 2004–05 season, EuroChallenge is 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.
In 2015, FIBA Europe dissolved the EuroChallenge to start a new second-tier competition, in an attempt to compete with Eurocup Basketball.