FIBA EuroChallenge
Season	2008–09
Duration	25 November 2008 – 26 April 2009
Number of teams	32
Finals
Champions	Virtus Bologna (1st title)
Runners-up	Cholet
Third place	Triumph Lyubertsy
Fourth place	Proteas EKA AEL
Final Four MVP	Keith Langford
Statistical leaders
Points Austin Nichols 19.6 Rebounds Abdullahi Kuso 8.8 Assists Dontaye Draper 6.2
← 2007–08 2009–10 →

The 2008–09 FIBA EuroChallenge was the sixth edition of Europe's third-tier level transnational men's professional club basketball FIBA EuroChallenge Tournament, and the first under the FIBA EuroChallenge name, organized by FIBA Europe. It was also the first season that eliminated teams from the ULEB Cup would transfer to a FIBA competition after the 2000 conflict between ULEB and FIBA. Additionally the formerly known ULEB Cup would be now renamed to EuroCup from 2008 and onwards.

A total number of 32 teams participated in the regular season and a total of 40 teams competed including the qualifying rounds. Virtus Bologna won its first EuroChallenge title after defeating Cholet in the Final of the Final Four, which was hosted in Bologna.

Format

In all there are 40 teams from 21 countries, plus sixteen teams from the 2008–09 Eurocup Basketball first preliminary round and second preliminary round. The competition is jointly run by FIBA Europe.

Teams

The labels in the parentheses show how each team qualified for the place of its starting round (TH: title holders;):

• 1st, 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, etc.: League position after eventual Playoffs
• EC: Transferred from Eurocup

QR: Losers from qualifying rounds

• WC: Wild card

Regular season

Ural Great (EC QR2)	Base Oostende (EC QR2)	Cajasol (EC QR2)	Hapoel Migdal Jerusalim (EC QR2)
Triumph Lyubertsy (EC QR1)	Dexia Mons-Hainaut (4th)	Cholet (EC QR1)	Galatasaray (EC QR2)
Lokomotiv Rostov (7th)	Tartu Rock (EC QR1)	Benetton Olympic Fribourg (EC QR2)	Olympia Larissa (8th)
Kyiv (EC QR2)	Kalev/Cramo (2nd)	Allianz Swans Gmunden (EC QR2)	Keravnos (1st)
Khimik (3rd)	Šiauliai (EC QR1)	Telekom Bonn (EC QR1)	Virtus Bologna (15th)
Energa Czarni Slupsk (EC QR1)	Ventspils (3rd)	EclipseJet MyGuide Amsterdam (EC QR1)

Qualifying rounds

CSK VVS-Samara (9th)	Hyeres-Toulon (6th)	Antalya BB (6th)	Široki (3rd)
Spartak Saint Petersburg (11th)	JA Vichy (7th)	Banvit (8th)	Borac Nektar (5th)
Sumykhimprom (5th)	EWE Baskets Oldenburg (5th)	APOEL (2nd)	Zagreb (4th)
MBC Mykolaiv (6th)	Deutsche Bank Skyliners (6th)	Proteas EKA AEL (3rd)	Cedevita (5th)
Donetsk (WC)	Bakken Bears (1st)	Asesoft (1st)	Zlatorog Laško (4th)
Prostejov (3rd)	Svendborg Rabbits (2nd)	U Mobilteco Cluj (2nd)	AMAK SP (5th)
Spartak Pleven (4th)	Eiffel Towers Den Bosch (2nd)	CSU Sibiu (3rd)
Energy Invest Rustavi (1st)	Belgacom Liege (5th)	Körmend (2nd)

Qualifying rounds

Thirty-two teams will participate in the first round and sixteen in the second.

First qualifying round

Main article: 2008–09 FIBA EuroChallenge First qualifying round

Team 1	Agg.	Team 2	1st leg	2nd leg
Prostějov	134–148	Zagreb	61–69	73–79
AMAK SP	148–145	Zlatorog Laško	70–76	78–69
CSU Asesoft	147–145	Spartak Saint Petersburg	79–76	68–69
U Mobitelco Cluj	132–163	EWE Baskets Oldenburg	60–86	72–77
Svendborg Rabbits	168–180	Široki	92–100	76–80
MBC Mykolaiv	138–151	Deutsche Bank Skyliners	68–75	70–76
Energy Invest Rustavi	160–200	Sumykhimprom	81–110	79–90
Spartak Pleven	153–176	Antalya BB	83–87	70–89
APOEL	113–135	JA Vichy	52–66	61–69
Sibiu	144–186	Banvit	67–74	77–112
Cedevita	150–157	Hyères-Toulon	92–82	58–75
Körmend	171–201	EiffelTowers Den Bosch	71–88	100–113
Donetsk	120–134	Proteas EKA AEL	65–65	55–79
Bakken Bears	119–164	Belgacom Liège	55–67	64–97

Second qualifying round

Team 1	Agg.	Team 2	1st leg	2nd leg
EiffelTowers Den Bosch	166–130	AMAK SP	94–66	72–64
Široki	155–164	Sumykhimprom	73–73	82–91
CSK VSS-Samara	149–136	Zagreb	80–60	69–76
Deutsche Bank Skyliners	127–125	Antalya BB	60–60	67–65
Hyères-Toulon	170–154	CSU Asesoft	103–77	67–77
EWE Baskets Oldenburg	150–120	Borac Nektar	76–46	74–74
Belgacom Liège	154–137	JA Vichy	74–67	80–70
Banvit	165–189	Proteas EKA AEL	93–100	72–89

Regular season

Group A

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	PF	PA	PD	Qualification
1	Belgacom Liège	6	6	0	492	433	+59	Advance to top 16
2	Cajasol	6	3	3	480	405	+75
3	Ventspils	6	2	4	436	209	+227
4	Energa Czarni Słupsk	6	1	5	462	523	−61

Source: FIBA Europe

	LIE	CAJ	VEN	SLU
LIE		69-62	89-84	89-64
CAJ	78-79		98-51	89-75
VEN	54-73	78-70		94-88
SLU	91-93	53-83	91-75

Group B

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	PF	PA	PD	Qualification
1	Ural Great	6	5	1	498	433	+65	Advance to top 16
2	Telekom Baskets Bonn	6	3	3	417	413	+4
3	Hyères-Toulon	6	3	3	478	485	−7
4	Keravnos	6	1	5	434	496	−62

Source: FIBA Europe

	URA	TBB	HYE	KER
URA		82-54	84-76	85-64
TBB	64-70		71-61	78-55
HYE	94-83	72-86		87-76
KER	81-94	73-64	85-88

Group C

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	PF	PA	PD	Qualification
1	Cholet	6	6	0	485	410	+75	Advance to top 16
2	Lokomotiv Rostov	6	4	2	460	424	+36
3	Sumykhimprom	6	1	5	471	513	−42
4	Benetton Olympic	6	1	5	384	453	−69

Source: FIBA Europe

	CHO	LOK	SUM	BEN
CHO		76-72	100-77	79-52
LOK	65-66		99-72	66-65
SUM	81-82	84-89		90-73
BEN	63-82	61-69	70-67

Group D

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	PF	PA	PD	Qualification
1	Proteas EKA AEL	6	4	2	519	456	+63	Advance to top 16
2	EiffelTowers Den Bosch	6	4	2	501	480	+21
3	Šiauliai	6	4	2	484	497	−13
4	Allianz Swans Gmunden	6	0	6	428	499	−71

Source: FIBA Europe

	AEL	DEN	ŠIA	GMU
AEL		95-77	102-76	86-62
DEN	87-76		96-82	77-70
ŠIA	77-75	82-80		89-76
GMU	77-85	75-84	68-78

Group E

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	PF	PA	PD	Qualification
1	EWE Baskets Oldenburg	6	4	2	469	451	+18	Advance to top 16
2	EclipseJet MyGuide Amsterdam	6	3	3	435	447	−12
3	Hapoel Jerusalem	6	3	3	397	377	+20
4	Olympia Larissa	6	2	4	357	383	−26

Source: FIBA Europe

	OLD	AMS	JER	LAR
OLD		78-62	79-70	76-73
AMS	76-73		73-74	68-64
JER	81-88	81-83		20-0*
LAR	89-75	77-73	54-71

*Due to the war situation in Gaza Strip, Olympia refused to travel to Israel and Hapoel Jerusalim were declared winners by forfeit (20-0)

Group F

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	PF	PA	PD	Qualification
1	Dexia Mons-Hainaut	6	4	2	514	451	+63	Advance to top 16
2	Galatasaray Cafe Crown	6	4	2	483	447	+36
3	Zagreb	6	2	4	443	492	−49
4	Khimik	6	2	4	449	499	−50

Source: FIBA Europe

	DEX	GAL	ZAG	KHI
DEX		91-65	99-69	82-76
GAL	80-68		87-72	94-51
ZAG	66-84	78-82		88-78
KHI	95-90	87-75	62-70

Group G

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	PF	PA	PD	Qualification
1	Virtus Bologna	6	5	1	472	444	+28	Advance to top 16
2	CSK VSS-Samara	6	3	3	440	439	+1
3	Base Oostende	6	2	4	490	487	+3
4	Tartu Rock	6	2	4	451	483	−32

Source: FIBA Europe

	VIR	CSK	OOS	TAR
VIR		75-69	70-69	95-85
CSK	72-70		86-72	58-66
OOS	76-87	98-75		87-73
TAR	73-75	58-80	92-82

Group H

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	PF	PA	PD	Qualification
1	Triumph Lyubertsy	6	4	2	441	405	+36	Advance to top 16
2	Kyiv	6	4	2	440	393	+47
3	Deutsche Bank Skyliners	6	2	4	375	425	−50
4	Kalev/Cramo	6	2	4	431	464	−33

Source: FIBA Europe

	TRI	KYI	DBS	KAL
TRI		67-64	76-58	75-69
KYI	66-65		78-46	90-75
DBS	77-71	58-66		61-57
KAL	81-87	82-76	77-75

Top 16

Group I

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	PF	PA	PD	Qualification
1	Cholet	6	5	1	450	408	+42	Advance to quarterfinals
2	Telekom Baskets Bonn	6	3	3	415	425	−10
3	Belgacom Liège	6	2	4	410	432	−22
4	EiffelTowers Den Bosch	6	2	4	433	443	−10

Source: FIBA Europe

	CHO	TBB	LIE	DEN
CHO		71-54	71-78	85-68
TBB	68-71		79-64	84-77
LIE	70-80	59-67		81-68
DEN	70-72	83-63	67-58

Group J

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	PF	PA	PD	Qualification
1	Virtus Bologna	6	4	2	479	444	+35	Advance to quarterfinals
2	Kyiv	6	4	2	446	399	+47
3	EWE Baskets Oldenburg	6	3	3	456	470	−14
4	Galatasaray Cafe Crown	6	1	5	478	546	−68

Source: FIBA Europe

	VIR	KYI	OLD	GAL
VIR		68-64	81-82	93-77
KYI	57-69		64-54	95-62
OLD	73-64	73-86		85-93
GAL	91-104	73-80	82-89

Group K

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	PF	PA	PD	Qualification
1	Proteas EKA AEL	6	5	1	472	421	+51	Advance to quarterfinals
2	Ural Great	6	3	3	453	453	0
3	Cajasol	6	2	4	417	418	−1
4	Lokomotiv Rostov	6	2	4	399	449	−50

Source: FIBA Europe

	AEL	URA	CAJ	LOK
AEL		102-75	88-78	74-60
URA	83-57		61-72	69-60
CAJ	56-64	76-81		74-61
LOK	69-87	86-84	63-61

Group L

Pos	Team	Pld	W	L	PF	PA	PD	Qualification
1	Triumph Lyubertsy	6	5	1	472	431	+41	Advance to quarterfinals
2	EclipseJet MyGuide Amsterdam	6	4	2	481	461	+20
3	Dexia Mons-Hainaut	6	3	3	495	482	+13
4	CSK VSS-Samara	6	0	6	429	503	−74

Source: FIBA Europe

	TRI	AMS	DEX	CSK
TRI		76-75	76-73	86-67
AMS	68-85		87-75	84-69
DEX	83-68	86-93		101-85
CSK	65-81	70-74	73-77

Quarterfinals

Team 1	Agg.	Team 2	1st leg	2nd leg	3rd leg
Cholet	2–1	Kyiv	68–52	72–77	80–74
Virtus Bologna	2–0	Telekom Baskets Bonn	86–76	106–91
Proteas EKA AEL	2–0	EclipseJet MyGuide Amsterdam	82–72	83–72
Triumph Lyubertsy	2–1	Ural Great	100–102	91–65	78–63

Final Four

The Final Four will be the last stage of EuroChallenge 2008–09. The event will take place at the Futurshow Station, in Bologna.

	Semi-finals				Final
	Cholet	81
	Triumph Lyubertsy	78
					Cholet	75
					Virtus Bologna	77
	Virtus Bologna	83
	Proteas EKA AEL	69
					Third place
					Triumph Lyubertsy	94
					Proteas EKA AEL	82

See also

• 2008–09 Eurocup Basketball
• 2008–09 Euroleague

External links

• FIBA Europe
• European Basketball website