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By Stathis Trapezanlidis/ info@eurohoops.net
Many teams wowed with the basketball that they played in the Eurobasket, some were the big surprises of the tournament, but few were those that totally dominated and created their own empire for several years. Eurohoops presents the teams that were at the top for at least two consecutive tournaments and among the top teams for at least eight years!
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[lptitle title=”6. Soviet Union 1957-1971 “]
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The Soviet Union presented several good teams and was always a protagonist. It’s difficult for someone to say that they ever stopped dominating since, from 1957 until 1991 when the dissolution occurred, there isn’t a year and a tournament in which they didn’t win a medal. An inconceivable record! However, the most important and successful periods are two: The first is the eight consecutive gold medals (1957-1971) and the second the three gold medals in four tournaments (1979-1985).
No team dominated to the extent that the Soviet Union did in the period 1957-1971. This was the greatest team of all time in Europe at the level of national teams based on titles, medals and numbers. They won 8 consecutive Eurobasket competitions and remained undefeated for 59 games until Yugoslavia put a stop to this streak, only for them to begin their own dynasty. In this period many great personalities competed, such as Gennadi Volnov, legendary players like Viktor Zubkov and Sergei Belov and coaches that made history such as Alexander Gomelsky.
There were years when the Yugoslavs mostly tried to challenge the supremacy of the Soviets, while on other occasions the Soviets reached the top without being threatened in any substantial way.
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