By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Besides defending the Basketball Champions League title, Unicaja added to the success of recent years by lifting the Copa del Rey for the second time in three years and the third time in team history on Sunday. Defeating Real Madrid in the Final resulted in crazy celebrations stretching from the Gran Canaria Arena to Malaga.
Dominating against teams from Czechia and Slovakia in the Tipsport Final 8 in Bratislava’s Gopass Arena, ERA Nymburk joined Unicaja on the list of Cup winners from the BCL Round of 16. From building a 2-0 record in Groups J and L, and setting their sights on a spot in the Quarterfinals of the Champions League, the domestic triumphs will certainly boost confidence for an extended continental run.
Elsewhere in the Old Continent, Panathinaikos Aktor and Fenerbahce Beko topped the OPAP Final 8 in Greece and the ING Turkish Cup. Sweepstakes across other Turkish Airlines EuroLeague participants also went to Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet, Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv, and Zalgiris.
First-time winners included Dolomiti Energia Trento in Italy’s Frecciarossa Final Eight and Syntainics MBC in Germany’s BBL-Pokal. Also, Le Mans won the Leaders Cup in France for the fourth time in team history.
Cup winners in each country:
Panathinaikos
Crvena Zvezda
Fenerbahce
Unicaja Malaga
Trento
Zalgiris
Le Mans
Maccabi Tel Aviv
Syntainics Mitteldeutscher pic.twitter.com/NgYEBeZUN2
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A brief pause in domestic league journeys following an early exit from the Champions League featured Igokea m;tel winning the Bosnia-Herzegovina’s Mirza Delibasic Cup and VEF Riga lifting the Latvian Cup.
More Cup champions were crowned all around Europe, including Split capturing the Kresimir Cosic Cup in Croatia and ending a 21-year drought.
List of Cup winners in Europe
Austria: Klosterneuburg Dukes
Bosnia-Herzegovina: Igokea m:tel
Croatia: Split
Czechia/Slovakia: ERA Nymburk
Estonia: Kalev/Cramo
France*: Le Mans
Germany: Syntainics MBC
Greece: Panathinaikos Aktor
Israel: Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv
Italy: Dolomiti Energia Trento
Kosovo: Trepca
Latvia: VEF Riga
Lithuania: Zalgiris
Montenegro: Buducnost VOLI
North Macedonia: MZT
Poland: Gornik Walbrzych
Romania: CSO Voluntari
Serbia: Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet
Slovenia: Cedevita Olimpija
Sweden: Norrkoping Dolphins
Spain: Unicaja
Turkiye: Fenerbahce Beko
*Leaders Cup (Coupe de France is in progress)
Cup winners in several countries, including Belgium, Cyprus, Hungary, Portugal and Switzerland, will be crowned later in the 2024-25 winter schedule.
Photo Credit: FIBA