By Stelios Toromanidis/ info@eurohoops.net
This period was not selected randomly since the 1987-1988 season is when the competition entered the era of the Final Four. Having the champions emerge from a Final Four process has definitely given us (and keeps giving) intense emotions and amazing clashes between the best teams of each season.
But in order for a team to reach the big appointment, they will first have to emerge unscathed from the “abyss” of the quarterfinals.
This season, we are in the 31st EuroLeague with the above format of concluding the competition. There has always been a quarterfinal phase, except for three seasons (2001-2002, 2002-2003, 2003-2004). Originally (1987-1991) it was through a group stage from which the best four went through to the Final Four, and then (1991-today) in the form of playoffs.
In these 28 seasons, 47 different teams from 15 countries have battled it out in the quarterfinals, with the prize each season being a ticket to the big appointment of Europe’s top club competition.
Eurohoops singled out the Top 10 of those teams, based on most appearances. To be precise, the following list contains 11 teams, since there are two teams with the same number of appearances in 10th place. Before we start counting down, let’s take a look at how the other 36 teams that have appeared in the quarterfinals are ranked.
Notes:
1. The SuproLeague (2000-2001) is not included in this list as it coincided with the first season of the EuroLeague in its current form. Let us remind you that two competitions had been held that season. For the record, the teams that played in the quarterfinals of the SuproLeague were: Split, Efes, Panathinaikos, Alba Berlin, CSKA Moscow, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Villeurbanne and Pesaro.
2. That same season (2000-2001) the EuroLeague competition didn’t include a Final Four, but instead, the champions emerged through playoffs.
Positions 12-47:
|
Place
|
Team
|
Country
|
Appearances in quarterfinals
|
|
12
|
Turkey
|
5
|
|
|
–
|
Armani
|
Italy
|
5
|
|
–
|
Fortitudo
|
Italy
|
5
|
|
–
|
Pesaro
|
Italy
|
5
|
|
–
|
Benetton
|
Italy
|
5
|
|
17
|
Aris
|
Greece
|
4
|
|
–
|
Pau-Orthez
|
France
|
4
|
|
–
|
Siena
|
Italy
|
4
|
|
20
|
Jugoplastika
|
Croatia
|
3
|
|
–
|
Cibona
|
Croatia
|
3
|
|
–
|
Olimpija Ljubljana
|
Slovenia
|
3
|
|
–
|
Villeurbanne
|
France
|
3
|
|
24
|
Zalgiris Kaunas
|
Lithuania
|
2
|
|
–
|
Badalona
|
Spain
|
2
|
|
–
|
AEK
|
Greece
|
2
|
|
–
|
Ulker
|
Turkey
|
2
|
|
–
|
Den Bosch
|
Netherlands
|
2
|
|
29
|
Dynamo Moscow
|
Russia
|
1
|
|
–
|
Cologne
|
Germany
|
1
|
|
–
|
Den Helder
|
Netherlands
|
1
|
|
–
|
Lech Poznan
|
Poland
|
1
|
|
–
|
Bayer Leverkusen
|
Germany
|
1
|
|
–
|
Kingston Kings
|
UK
|
1
|
|
–
|
Estudiantes
|
Spain
|
1
|
|
–
|
PAOK
|
Greece
|
1
|
|
–
|
Alba Berlin
|
Germany
|
1
|
|
–
|
Malaga
|
Spain
|
1
|
|
–
|
Prokom
|
Poland
|
1
|
|
–
|
Spain
|
1
|
|
|
–
|
Bilbao
|
Spain
|
1
|
|
–
|
Unics Kazan
|
Russia
|
1
|
|
–
|
Turkey
|
1
|
|
|
–
|
Lokomotiv Kuban
|
Russia
|
1
|
|
–
|
Serbia
|
1
|
|
|
–
|
Darussafaka
|
Turkey
|
1
|
|
–
|
Khimki
|
Russia
|
1
|