Euroleague

The FIBA European Champions Cup was originally established by FIBA and it operated from 1958 until the summer of 2001. Since the 1987–88 FIBA European Champions Cup and until 2001, the winner was decided by a final four.

The 1999–00 season was the last before the split of 2000 between FIBA and various top clubs backed by ULEB who launched its own top tier competition. In the summer of 2000 the Euroleague Basketball was found.

FIBA had previously used the EuroLeague name for the competition since 1996, but it had never trademarked the name. As FIBA had no legal recourse on the usage of the name, ULEB grasped the opportunity and started a new league under the name of Euroleague', while FIBA renamed it's top tier competition the FIBA SuproLeague. Thus, the2000–2001 season started with two top European professional club basketball competitions: FIBA SuproLeague (renamed from FIBA EuroLeague) and EuroLeague by ULEB.

Top clubs were split between the two leagues: Panathinaikos, Maccabi Tel Aviv, CSKA Moscow and Efes Pilsen stayed with FIBA, while Olympiacos, Kinder Bologna, Real Madrid Teka, FC Barcelona, Paf Wennington Bologna, Žalgiris Kaunas, Benetton Treviso, AEK and Tau Cerámica joined ULEB. The first Euroleague champion of the new era in 2000-01 was decided by a best of three series.

In May 2001, Europe had two continental champions, Maccabi of the FIBA SuproLeague and Kinder Bologna of the ULEB Euroleague. Both organizations realized the need to come up with a unified competition and Euroleague Basketball negotiated terms and dictated proceedings which FIBA agreed to their terms. As a result, European club competition was fully integrated under Euroleague Basketball's umbrella and teams that competed in the FIBA SuproLeague during the 2000–01 season joined it as well.

The authority in European professional basketball was divided over club-country lines. FIBA stayed in charge of national team competitions (like the FIBA EuroBasket, the FIBA World Cup, and the Summer Olympics), while ULEB and Euroleague Basketball took over the major European club competition, establishing 3-year licences with top clubs - not based on sporting merit.

From that point on, FIBA's Korać Cup and Saporta Cup competitions lasted one more season and then Euroleague Basketball launched the ULEB Cup, now known as the EuroCup, following another major disagreement with FIBA who launched its own two competitions as an answer.

In 2009, Euroleague Properties S.A. (EP) was created and the competition's company Euroleague Basketball under Jordi Bertomeu took full control, limiting ULEB's role. During all this period many top European clubs had permanent presence in the competition via licences and regardless of their domestic performances.

In October 2015, FIBA tried to take control back, tempting 8 top European clubs (Panathinaikos, Olympiakos, Real Madrid, Barcelona, Maccabi Tel Aviv, CSKA Moscow, Fenerbahce and Efes Pilsen) to sign long-term licenses with the Federation in a 16-team brand new European league called the FIBA Basketball Champions League in a round-robin format (the other 8 spots would be decided on domestic performances). The clubs rejected the proposal, but they came up with an almost identical plan a few weeks later.

In November 2015, Euroleague Basketball and IMG agreed on a 10-year joint venture. Both Euroleague Basketball and IMG will manage the commercial operation, and the management of all global rights covering both media and marketing. The deal was worth €630 million guaranteed over 10 years, with projected revenues reaching €900 million. Along with the deal the league changed into a true league format, with 16 teams playing each other team in the regular season followed by the playoffs. The A-licensed clubs were assured of participation for the following ten years in the new format.

After the new format of the EuroLeague and FIBA implementing national team windows, a conflict between the two organizations emerged. EuroLeague has been criticised by FIBA as well as several national federations for creating a 'closed league' and ignoring the principle of meritocracy. In July 2019, EuroLeague announced that from the 2019–20 season there will be no direct access to the league through domestic leagues anymore, effectively making it a closed league.

The EuroLeague saw increasing influence from the Middle East during the 2020s. The league had another milestone event in 2025, when it hosted the Final Four in Abu Dhabi, as the first final tournament to be held outside of Europe. The league further expanded to 20 teams in the 2025–26 season. As part of the expansion, Dubai Basketball was given a 5-year license, thus becoming the first team from outside of Europe (excluding Israeli teams) to play in the competition.

In years 2010–2025, EuroLeague was sponsored by Turkish Airlines. In a five-year €15 million deal, starting in the 2010–11 season, the competition was named 'Turkish Airlines Euroleague Basketball'. The agreement included an option to extend it for another five years. The option was activated in October 2013, extending the sponsorship deal until 2020. On July 1, 2025 it has ended sponsor naming rights of Turkish Airlines. In September 2025, EuroLeague announced a four year partnership with the Abu Dhabi Department of Culture and Tourism and Etihad Airways, designating them as Main Partners of the EuroLeague and EuroCup competitions and Final Four Presenting Partner. The agreement includes brand visibility for Experience Abu Dhabi and Etihad Airways across arenas, live broadcasts and team jerseys in all ErouLeague and EuroCup games.

• FIBA era: (1958–2001)
  • FIBA European Champions Cup: (1958–1991)
  • FIBA European League: (1991–1996)
  • FIBA EuroLeague: (1996–2000)
  • FIBA SuproLeague: (2000–2001)
• Euroleague Basketball era: (2000–present)
  • ULEB Euroleague: (2000–2001)
  • Euroleague: (2001-2016)
  • EuroLeague: (2016–present)

*There were two competitions during the 2000–01 season. The SuproLeague, which was organized by FIBA, and the Euroleague, which was organized by ULEB and Euroleague Basketball.

The main difference between the competition run by FIBA Europe and the modern one since 2000 has been the licenses that guaranteed a club's participation in the Euroleague regardless of their performance in their national championship. The 3-year guaranteed participation was granted by an A-license. In 2009 the A-Licenses granted were 13, while in 2012 they became 14.

Until 2015, many major clubs would compete with a 3-year licence, while others would get a wild card or a B-License for one year. In 2015, 11 clubs signed long-term licenses with the Euroleague Basketball (until 2026) and they also became the company's shareholders leaving only 5 spots to other teams to participate. In 2021–22 season, ASVEL and Bayern Munich were added to the shareholders' group taking the number to 13. As of the 2025-26 season, the Euroleague Basketball offers 3-year licenses to clubs other than the 13 shareholders with the fee being 5 million euros in total (about 1.7 million euros per year). The EuroLeague Board of Directors, composed of the 13 shareholders, is responsible to evaluate each individual request of a club for a 3-year license. In 2025, Euroleague Basketball granted 3-year licenses (until 2028) to the following clubs:

• KK Crvena Zvezda
• KK Partizan
• Virtus Bologna
• Valencia Basket
• Dubai BC (5-year license, until 2030)

A-Licenses history

Wild cards history