The premier European league wants more participants, and a newcomer is even expected to be based outside of Europe.
The EuroLeague is expected to be expanded from 18 to 20 teams starting next season. The board of the premier basketball league approved the corresponding proposal, according to a statement on Thursday. A list of the proposed participants will be presented “provided that all required formalities are met,” it said.
According to the news agency AFP, the French club Paris Basketball, which participated as a guest this season as the previous year’s Eurocup winner, will become a permanent part of the competition due to the expansion. In addition, Valencia, which already participated in 2023/24, and Eurocup champion Hapoel Tel Aviv are expected to be new additions from Europe in the upcoming edition.
EuroLeague Champion: Fenerbahce Istanbul
According to AFP, Dubai BC is also expected to play in the EuroLeague from 2025/26. It would be the first time that a club outside the geographic area of European basketball has played in the EuroLeague. The proposal must now be approved by the league’s General Assembly by the beginning of July.
Bayern to Remain Part of the EuroLeague
From a German perspective, only Bayern Munich will be part of the highest European competition in the future. The second German top club, Alba Berlin, announced a few weeks ago that it would leave the premier league for the upcoming season and compete in the FIBA-organized Champions League in the future.
The North American professional league NBA announced at the end of March that it wanted to examine the establishment of a league in Europe in partnership with the world association FIBA. The EuroLeague officials described the plans as a “threat to the long-standing tradition of European basketball” but also expressed “openness to dialogue” – and are now expanding themselves.