By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Taking a break from continental and domestic leagues, top European teams switch focus to domestic Cups this week.
From Spanish clubs hoping to lift the Copa del Rey trophy, additional major highlights are provided by Turkiye, Greece, France, Serbia, Germany, Italy, and Lithuania.
Eurohoops presents the schedule of the main domestic Cup competitions.
Copa del Rey (Malaga)
Teams ranking first through eighth in Spain’s Liga Endesa at the midway point of the Regular Season qualified for the Copa del Rey.
Combining 55 of 87 titles in competition history between them, Real Madrid and FC Barcelona are labeled as the favorites. Unicaja is the defending champion and host.
Quarterfinals (15-16/2)
Real Madrid – UCAM Murcia
Dreamland Gran Canaria – Valencia
FC Barcelona – BAXI Manresa
Unicaja – Lenovo Tenerife
Semifinals (17/2)
Real Madrid/UCAM Murcia – Dreamland Gran Canaria/Valencia
FC Barcelona/BAXI Manresa – Unicaja/Lenovo Tenerife
Final (18/2)
Semifinals winners
ING Turkiye Cup (Konya)
Teams ranking first through eighth in Turkiye Sigorta Basketbol Super Ligi at the midway point of the Regular Season qualified for the Quarterfinals.
Following the Quarterfinals played in separate venues, the Final Four field gathers in Konya.
Semifinals (16/2)
Anadolu Efes – Pinar Karsiyaka
Fenerbahce Beko – Besiktas Emlakjet
Final (18/2)
Semifinals winners
Final 8 OPAP (Iraklio)
Teams ranking first through seventh in Greece’s Stoiximan Basket League at the midway point of the Regular Season qualified for the Quarterfinals.
Panionios emerged as the eighth participant through a separate single-elimination tournament featuring teams from lower divisions.
Quarterfinals (15-16/2)
Panathinaikos Aktor – AEK Betsson
PAOK mateco – Aris Midea
Olympiacos – Peristeri bwin
Promitheas – Panionios
Semifinals (17/2)
Panathinaikos Aktor/AEK Betsson – PAOK mateco/Aris Midea
Olympiacos/Peristeri bwin – Promitheas/Panionios
Final (18/2)
Semifinals winners
Leaders Cup (Saint-Chamond)
After starting the week with Round of 16 action in the Coupe de France, the Leaders Cup in Arena Saint-Etienne Metropole takes over featuring teams ranking first through eighth in the Betclic Elite at the midway point of the Regular Season.
LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne is the defending champion.
Quarterfinals (16/2)
JL Bourg – SLUC Nancy
LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne – Nanterre 92
AS Monaco – Le Mans
Paris – Saint-Quentin
Semifinals (17/2)
JL Bourg/SLUC Nancy – LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne/Nanterre 92
AS Monaco/Le Mans – Paris/Saint-Quentin
Final (18/2)
Semifinals winners
Radivoj Korac Cup (Nis)
The five Serbian clubs from the AdmiralBet ABA League, the finalists of the KSS Cup, and the best-ranked team of the Basketball League of Serbia shaped the contenders in Serbia.
Barring an upset in the previous rounds, rivals Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet and Partizan Mozzart Bet will meet in the Final.
Quarterfinals (14-15/2)
Borac Mozzart – Cacak 94
Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet – FMP Soccerbet
Mega MIS – Vojvodina
Partizan Mozzart Bet – Hercegovac
Semifinals (16/2)
Borac Mozzart/Cacak 94 – Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet/FMP Soccerbet
Mega MIS/Vojvodina – Partizan Mozzart Bet/Hercegovac
Final (17/2)
Semifinals winners
Siegmund Top Four (Munich)
The Final Four of the BBL Pokal concludes a single-elimination Cup competition in Germany.
Sixteen teams battled it out in September and eight more teams joined the action in October. The Quarterfinals held in December decided the four remaining contenders.
Semifinals (17/2)
Bamberg Baskets – FC Bayern Munich
ALBA Berlin – ratiopharm Ulm
Final (18/2)
Semifinals winners
Frecciarossa Final Eight (Turin)
Teams ranking first through eighth in Italy’s LBA UnipolSai at the midway point of the Regular Season qualified for the Final Eight
Eight-time winners EA7 Emporio Milan and Virtus Segafredo Bologna are widely considered the favorite to go all the way in Torino. Defending champion Germany Brescia is among the participants as well.
Quarterfinals (14-15/2)
Umana Reyer Venice – Estra Pistoia
EA7 Emporio Armani Milan – Dolomiti Energia Trento
Virtus Segafredo Bologna – UnaHotels Reggio Emilia
Germani Brescia – Generazione Vincente Napoli
Semifinals (17/2)
Umana Reyer Venice/Estra Pistoia – EA7 Emporio Armani Milan/Dolomiti Energia Trento
Virtus Segafredo Bologna/UnaHotels Reggio Emilia – Germani Brescia/Generazione Vincente Napoli
Final (18/2)
Semifinals winners