Luxembourg Basketball League
Upcoming season or competition: 2019–20 Total League season | |
File:Total League logo.png | |
Sport | Basketball |
---|---|
Founded | 1933 |
No. of teams | 10 |
Country | Luxembourg |
Continent | Europe |
Most recent champion(s) | Etzella (15th title) |
Most titles | Nitia (16 titles) |
Sponsor(s) | Total |
Level on pyramid | 1 |
Relegation to | Nationale 2 |
Domestic cup(s) | Luxembourg Cup |
Official website | flbb.lu/totalleague |
The Nationale 1 Hommes, officially named the Total League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest men's basketball league in Luxembourg. The league's governing body is Fédération Luxembourgeoise de Basketball (FLBB).[1] Prior to the 2012–13 season, the league was known as the Diekirch League.[2]
About
As the league is semi-professional, all clubs are run as not-for-profit.[3] Each team in the league is allowed to have two American players on the roster. While most local players do not receive a salary, American players are paid.[4][5]
There are two player statuses: JICL (French acronym for "player registered with a Luxembourgian club") and non-JICL. To be classified as JICL, a player has to have obtained a license from a FLBB club before their 16th birthday, or have one for at least three seasons between their 16th and 21st birthday. Prior to the 2013–14 season, each team was only allowed two non-JICL players, no exceptions. In July 2013, the European Commission adjudged the ruling was contrary to the Schengen Agreement.[6] Following that decision, the rule was scrapped and replaced by a gentlemen's agreement to keep the number at two, though some have signed a third non-JICL player, arguing they were part-time players.[5]
Format
During the regular season, each team plays the other nine teams twice, one at home and one away (10 teams, 18 games, 18 rounds). After this, the top six teams move on to the second stage, where they play a further 10 games against each other. The top four teams at the conclusion of the second stage move on to the playoffs. In the semi-finals, the No. 1 seed plays the No. 4 seed, and the No. 2 seed plays the No. 3 seed. The winner of each best-of-three semi-final moves on to the Finals series to decide the title (also best-of-three).[7]
Meanwhile, the bottom four teams after the regular season join the best four teams from the second-tier Nationale 2 to play for relegation and promotion respectively. The two worst ranked Total League teams are relegated whilst the two best Nationale 2 teams are promoted.
Current clubs
Current clubs | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Club[a] | City | Arena | Founded | Last title | Web links | ||
AB Contern | Contern | Hall sportif "Um Ewent" | 1956 | 2009 | Team | FLBB | FIBA |
Amicale Steesel | Steinsel | Hall omnisports "Alain Marchetti" | 1947 | 2016 | Team | FLBB | FIBA |
Racing Luxembourg | Luxembourg | Centre sportif Tramsschapp | 1950 | 2000 | Team | FLBB | FIBA |
Basket Esch | Esch-sur-Alzette | Hall omnisport Esch-sur-Alzette | 1959 | Never | Team | FLBB | |
Etzella Ettelbruck | Ettelbruck | Centre sportif du Deich | 1934 | 2006 | Team | FLBB | FIBA |
Musel Pikes | Stadtbredimus | Sporthal Stadbriedemes | 2000 | Never | Team | FLBB | |
Résidence Walferdange | Walferdange | Centre Prince Henri | 1965 | 1997 | Team | FLBB | FIBA |
Sparta Bertrange | Bertrange | Centre Atert | 1935 | 2012 | Team | FLBB | FIBA |
T71 Dudelange | Dudelange | Salle Fos Grimler | 1971 | 2015 | Team | FLBB | FIBA |
Union Sportive Hiefenech | Heffingen | Centre sportif Heffingen | 1959 | 1996 | Team | FLBB | FIBA |
Former clubs | ||||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Club | City | Arena | Founded | Last season | Last title | Web links | ||
Arantia Larochette | Larochette | Hall sportif Centre Filano | 1964 | 2017 | Never | Team | FLBB | |
Black Star Mersch | Mersch | Hall omnisports Mersch | 1934 | 2015 | 1968 | Team | FLBB | FIBA |
Nitia Bettembourg | Bettembourg | Centre sportif Bettembourg | 1932 | 2012 | 1953 | Team | FLBB | |
AS Soleuvre | Soleuvre | Centre sportif "Roger Krier" | 1937 | 2017 | 2002 | Team | FLBB | FIBA |
B.C. Mess | Mondercange | Complexe sportif Mondercange | 1967 | 2007 | Never | Team | FLBB | FIBA |
Title holders
Source:[8]
Latest finals
Season | Winner | Runner-up | Score |
---|---|---|---|
2003–04 | Contern | Sparta Bertrange | 2–0 |
2004–05 | Sparta Bertrange | Etzella | 2–1 |
2005–06 | Etzella | Sparta Bertrange | 2–0 |
2006–07 | Sparta Bertrange | T71 Dudelange | 2–0 |
2007–08 | Sparta Bertrange | Musel Pikes | 2–0 |
2008–09 | Contern | Musel Pikes | 2–1 |
2009–10 | T71 Dudelange | Sparta Bertrange | 2–1 |
2010–11 | T71 Dudelange | Etzella | 2–1 |
2011–12 | Sparta Bertrange | T71 Dudelange | 2–0 |
2012–13 | T71 Dudelange | Amicale | 2–0 |
2013–14 | T71 Dudelange | Amicale | 2–1 |
2014–15 | T71 Dudelange | Amicale | 2–1 |
2015–16 | Amicale | Musel Pikes | 2–0 |
2016–17 | Amicale | Musel Pikes | 2–1 |
2017–18 | Amicale | Etzella | 3–0 |
2018–19 | Etzella | T71 Dudelange | 3–1 |
Performance by club
Club | Titles | Years |
---|---|---|
Nitia | 16 | 1933–34, 1934–35, 1935–36, 1936–37, 1937–38, 1938–39, 1939–40, 1944–45, 1945–46, 1946–47, 1947–48, 1948–49, 1949–50, 1950–51, 1952–53, 1953–54 |
Etzella | 15 | 1954–55, 1955–56, 1956–57, 1960–61, 1961–62, 1962–63, 1963–64, 1964–65, 1969–70, 1971–72, 1991–92, 1998–99, 2002–03, 2005–06, 2018–19 |
T71 Dudelange | 12 | 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15 |
Sparta Bertrange | 11 | 1957–58, 1959–60, 1968–69, 1973–74, 1978–79, 1985–86, 1986–87, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2011–12 |
Amicale | 8 | 1970–71, 1972–73, 1977–78, 1979–80, 1980–81, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18 |
Contern | 4 | 1987–88, 2000–01, 2003–04, 2008–09 |
Hiefenech | 4 | 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1995–96 |
Résidence | 4 | 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1996–97 |
Racing Luxembourg | 3 | 1966–67, 1997–98, 1999–00 |
Black Star Mersch | 2 | 1965–66, 1967–68 |
Black Boys Kayl | 1 | 1951–52 |
Rou'de Le'w Kayl | 1 | 1958–59 |
Soleuvre | 1 | 2001–02 |
European competition
Luxembourgian clubs have not participated in European competition since 2002, the last year FIBA organised the FIBA Saporta Cup, with the FLBB bemoaning the separation between FIBA Europe and ULEB and the move away from a single-elimination format.[1] Some of the requirements for participation in the FIBA-organised European third-tier EuroChallenge that restrict their participation are: a €5,000 registration fee notwithstanding other costs, an arena that seats at least 2000 without non-basketball lines, and games played on weekdays.[9]
Highlights
Competition | Team | Opponent(s) | Round(s) | Home | Away | Aggregate |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Champions Cup 1958 | Etzella | Royal IV | Group stage | 43 – 82[b] | 36 – 63 | 79 – 145 |
Cup Winners' Cup 1974 | Sparta Bertrange | Paisley BC Steaua București |
Second round[c] Round of 16 |
105 – 93 77 – 108 |
64 – 51 77 – 117 |
169–144 154–225 |
Champions Cup 1978 | T71 Dudelange | Bayer 04 Leverkusen Real Madrid GC Figueirense |
Group stage | 78 – 85 63 – 94 96 – 87 |
71 – 97 60 – 118 65 – 69 |
3rd/4 teams |
Champions Cup 1979 | Amicale | Sporting Emerson Varese |
Group stage | 87 – 82 68 – 108 |
99 – 94 71 – 123 |
2nd/3 teams |
Champions Cup 1991 | Telekurs Hiefenech | BSG AdW Berlin FC Barcelona |
First round Round of 16 |
98 – 84 73 – 113 |
92 – 96 77 – 117 |
190–180 150–230 |
Korać Cup 1994 | Telekurs Hiefenech | Cardiff Bay Heat EnBW Ludwigsburg |
First round Second round |
78 – 72 80 – 86 |
89 – 79 69 – 105 |
167–151 149–191 |
Notes
- ^ Official names in French as per linguistic rules.
- ^ First European Champions Cup game ever played.
- ^ First round bye.
References
- ^ a b Présentation de la FLBB (in French)
- ^ Luxembourg league gets new sponsor
- ^ STATUTS ET REGLEMENTS (in French)
- ^ Braintree's Ryan Sharry lighting it up on the court in Luxembourg
- ^ a b 19 von 20 Profis kommen aus den USA (in German)
- ^ EU-Kommission beanstandet JICL-Regelung (in German)
- ^ Luxembourg Basketball 2015–16
- ^ List of Champions of Luxembourg; Luxembourg Basketball Federation.
- ^ T71 will not play in a European competition
External links
- Luxembourg Basketball at eurobasket.com
- Luxembourg Basketball news at basketnews.lu