Euroleague Basketball - Qualifications

Qualifications

The league usually, but not always, includes domestic champions from the leading countries. Depending on the country, places in the Euroleague may be awarded on the basis of:

• Performance in the previous season's domestic league.
• Performance over the previous two or three domestic seasons.
• Contracts with Euroleague Basketball (Company).
• In addition, the winner of the previous season's Eurocup receives a place.

For example, two 2007–08 domestic champions from ULEB member countries did not compete in the 2008–09 Euroleague—Zadar (Croatia) and Hapoel Holon (Israel). Zadar played in the second-level Eurocup in 2008–09. Hapoel Holon, however, did not compete in any of the three European continental club competitions—not even the third-tier EuroChallenge (which is run by FIBA Europe instead of Euroleague Basketball Company)—because of financial difficulties.

Starting with the 2009–10 season, the entrance criteria changed:

• A number of clubs chosen via a formula based on competitive performance, television revenues, and home attendance, receive "A Licenses", giving them automatic entry into the Euroleague regular season phase. Originally, 13 clubs received A Licenses, with Asseco Prokom Gdynia of Poland becoming the 14th before the 2011–12 season. A Licenses are awarded for three years, meaning that the next adjustment of A Licenses will not take place until 2012–13. However, Euroleague Basketball Company suspended the A License of Virtus Roma after the club finished in the bottom half of its domestic league in 2010–11.
• Eight clubs receive one-year "B Licenses" into the Euroleague regular season. Seven of them are directly based on the ranking of the domestic league in which the club competes. The eighth is a three-year "wild card" license based on similar factors to the A Licenses; the first such license was awarded to ASVEL Basket of France.
• The winner of the previous year's Eurocup receives a one-year "C License" into the Euroleague regular season. If the club qualifies for a direct B License into the regular season via its domestic league, the C License will be awarded to the club not already qualified for the regular season that is highest on the Euroleague entry list.
• Eight other clubs receive one-year "B Licenses" into the Euroleague qualifying rounds, with two advancing into the regular season.