By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
The road to glory in Basketball Champions League Season X, powered by Ameresco SUNEL, is officially set. Following a draw ceremony at the Badalona Museum on Friday, the bracket for the Quarterfinals and the Final Four has been established, carving out a definitive path to the title at the Palau Municipal d’Esports de Badalona this May.
Defending champions Unicaja are set for a heavyweight collision with ALBA Berlin, a matchup featuring two of the continent’s most established systems. With home-court advantage, Malaga remains the favorite, but the German side’s depth poses a massive threat. In the second pairing, Greece’s AEK puts its perfect Round of 16 record on the line against the prestige of Final Four host Asisa Joventut, a classic cross-continental battle of momentum versus tactical discipline.
Across the bracket, La Laguna Tenerife draws Galatasaray MCT Technic, pitting one of Europe’s most consistent systems against the star-powered roster from Istanbul. Finally, Rytas is drawn against ERA Nymburk, a clash where Lithuania’s storied basketball culture meets the disciplined underdog spirit of the Czechia.
Per competition rules, the seeded teams from Pot 1 (AEK, Tenerife, Rytas, and Unicaja) will host the first and potential third games. The four victors will converge on Badalona for the Final Four starting May 7.
Per the press release: “Season X of the Basketball Champions League, powered by Ameresco SUNEL has reached the Quarter-Finals phase, with the draw on Friday creating the bracket all the way to the Final Four, set to tip off at the Palau Municipal d’Esports in Badalona, Spain on Thursday, May 7.
The Quarter-Finals pairings are as follows:
- Rytas Vilnius (Lithuania) vs. ERA Nymburk (Czechia)
- AEK BC (Greece) vs. Asisa Joventut (Spain)
- La Laguna Tenerife (Spain) vs. Galatasaray MCT Technic (Türkiye)
- Unicaja (Spain) vs. ALBA BERLIN (Germany)
Draw for the Quarter-Finals
For the purposes of the Draw, the eight qualified clubs have been ranked according to their final position within their respective Round of 16 group and their place in the Draw was based on this ranking.
The teams having finished 1st of their Round of 16 group were placed in Pot 1, and the teams having finished 2nd of their Round of 16 group were placed in Pot 2.
The Quarter-Finals will be played in a best-of-three series and start on Wednesday, April 1, with the four seeded teams playing at home.
On April 7 and 8, the unseeded teams will host the second games of each series, while potential third games of the Quarter-Finals take place on Wednesday, April 15.
The complete Quarter-Finals game schedule will be communicated later on Friday.
Draw for the Semi-Finals
The draw for the Semi-Finals was also performed.
The Semi-Finals pairings are as follows:
- Winner of Unicaja/ALBA BERLIN vs. Winner of AEK BC/Asisa Joventut
- Winner of Rytas Vilnius/ERA Nymburk vs. Winner of La Laguna Tenerife/Galatasaray MCT Technic
The Final Four will be held at the Palau Municipal d’Esports in Badalona, with the Semi-Finals scheduled for Thursday, May 7 at 18:00 CET and 21:00 CET.
The Final and the Third-Place Game are on Saturday, May 9, at 20:00 CET and 17:00 CET, respectively.
The draw was held at the Roman City permanent exhibition at the Badalona Museum, with the local basketball legends Anna Cruz and Jordi Villacampa helping out as shufflers.
The Mayor of Badalona, Mr Xavier Garcia Albiol, expressed his excitement with the process of hosting the Final Four in Badalona, while the BCL CEO, Mr Patrick Comninos, noted that the tickets sales for the Final Four are already exceeding expectations.”