BASKETBALL CHAMPIONS LEAGUE FOR LONDON

By Mark Woods on June 25, 2021

London Lions have been granted a second crack at the Basketball Champions League, FIBA have confirmed.

The capital outfit, knocked out in the qualifying round last year by Lithuanian side Neptunas, will enter at the same stage in the forthcoming season.

24 teams will start at the initial phase which will get under way on September 13, with the Qualifying Rounds tournaments, ahead of the Regular Season tip off scheduled for October 4. A total of 32 teams will contest the Regular Season with four qualifiers joining the 28 clubs directly qualified.

They will play in four groups of 8 teams each, with the group winners qualifying directly for the Round of 16 (the second and third-placed teams will participate in a best-of-3 Play-In where the 8 winners will qualify for the Round of 16), followed by best-of-3 Quarter-Finals that will determine the Final Four. The overall winner will earn the coveted â‚¬1 million prize money.

Qualifying round: Bakken Bears Aarhus (DEN), Belfius Mons-Hainaut (BEL), Brose Bamberg (GER),Â De’Longhi Treviso (ITA),Â Fribourg Olympic (SUI),Â Hapoel Yossi Avrahami Eilat (ISR), Juventus Utena (LTU), Kalev/Cramo (EST), Kapfenberg Bulls (AUT), Le Mans Sarthe Basket (FRA), Levski Lukoil (BUL),Â London Lions (GBR), Mornar Bar (MNE), Opava (CZE), Parma Perm (RUS),Â Peristeri (GRE), PetrolinaÂ AEK Larnaca (CYP), Prometey Kamianske (UKR), Salon Vilpas (FIN), Split (CRO), Sporting Clube de Portugal (POR),Â Tsmoki-Minsk (BLR), U-Banca Transilvania Cluj Napoca (ROU), Zorg en Zekerheid Leiden (NED).

“The 2021-22 lineup is a strong evidence that the BCL is continuously growing,” said Basketball Champions League CEO, Patrick Comninos.

“It remains true to its mission of delivering a competitive European competition which showcases basketball across the continent and is open to all clubs which qualify on merit through their domestic league performances.”

An initial draw sorting the Qualification Rounds and the Regular Season phase will take place on Wednesday July 7.

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