French Clubs Discover Their EuroCup and BCL Opponents
French basketball clubs now know their opponents for the 2026-2027 European campaign. Both the EuroCup and the Basketball Champions League (BCL) promise tough competition from the outset.
BCL: Nanterre and Strasbourg Face Tough Draws, Cholet in an Accessible Group
The draw for the Basketball Champions League (BCL) took place on Wednesday midday at FIBA headquarters in Switzerland.
In Group A, Nanterre has a challenging path ahead, facing the reigning champions Rytas Vilnius (Lithuania), as well as Trabzonspor (Turkey) – a team the Parisian club last met in the 2015 Eurochallenge final – and Sabah FC (Azerbaijan), formerly of Jean-Marc Pansa.
In Group B, Strasbourg will contend with another formidable opponent, Galatasaray (Turkey), who defeated the Alsatian team in the 2016 EuroCup final. They will also face Legia Warsaw (Poland) and Cibona Zagreb (Croatia), both national champions.
Finally, in Group F, Cholet has drawn what appears to be a less daunting group, featuring Hapoel Holon (Israel), the surprising Serbian champions Spartak Subotica, and one more opponent from the qualifying rounds.
EuroCup: JL Bourg Defends Title, Monaco and Le Mans Discover Their Fate
An hour later, the draw for the EuroCup was held at the Mediapro headquarters in Barcelona, Spain. The new format for the Euroleague's sister competition now includes 32 teams divided into four groups of eight, followed by playoff series for the top four from each group.
As the reigning champions, Bourg-en-Bresse has been placed in Group C with Tofas Bursa (Turkey), Buducnost Podgorica (Montenegro), Trento (Italy), Napoli (Italy), Klaipeda (Lithuania), Chemnitz (Germany), and Wroclaw (Poland).
Relegated from the Euroleague, AS Monaco – assuming the French champions participate next season – finds itself in the arguably tougher Group D, facing Bahcesehir (Turkey), Manresa (Spain), Ulm (Germany), Rome (Italy), Lietkabelis (Lithuania), PAOK Thessaloniki (Greece), and Balkan Botevgrad (Bulgaria).
Lastly, in Group A, Le Mans will compete against Hapoel Jerusalem (Israel), San Pablo Burgos (Spain), Cedevita Olimpija (Slovenia), Tortona (Italy), Aris Thessaloniki (Greece), Rostock (Germany), and Riga (Latvia). Le Mans will notably face teams coached by Sasa Obradovic, Zvezdan Mitrovic, and Vassilis Spanoulis, all former coaches of the Roca Team. This is no easy task!
10 French Clubs in European Competitions for 2026-2027
In addition to these six clubs, France will also be represented by two teams in the Euroleague, ASVEL and Paris Basketball, as well as two more in the FIBA Europe Cup, Nancy and Chalon, during the 2026-2027 campaign.
English Translation and Rewriting:
BCL: Nanterre and Strasbourg Face Tough Draws, Cholet in an Accessible Group
The draw for the Basketball Champions League (BCL) has been finalized. French teams Nanterre and Strasbourg have been handed challenging groups, while Cholet appears to have a more manageable path.
Nanterre will compete in Group A alongside reigning champions Rytas Vilnius (Lithuania), Trabzonspor (Turkey), and Sabah FC (Azerbaijan). Strasbourg, in Group B, faces a tough challenge against Galatasaray (Turkey), Legia Warsaw (Poland), and Cibona Zagreb (Croatia).
Cholet is in Group F with Hapoel Holon (Israel), Serbian champions Spartak Subotica, and a qualifier.
EuroCup: JL Bourg Defends Title, Monaco and Le Mans Discover Their Fate
The EuroCup draw has also been completed, featuring a new format with 32 teams. Defending champions JL Bourg-en-Bresse are in Group C.
AS Monaco, potentially entering from Euroleague, is in Group D, facing strong opposition from Turkey, Spain, Germany, Italy, Lithuania, Greece, and Bulgaria.
Le Mans is in Group A, where they will face Hapoel Jerusalem (Israel), San Pablo Burgos (Spain), Cedevita Olimpija (Slovenia), Tortona (Italy), Aris Thessaloniki (Greece), Rostock (Germany), and Riga (Latvia). This group includes several former coaches of AS Monaco.
10 French Clubs in European Competitions for 2026-2027
Overall, ten French clubs will participate in European competitions during the 2026-2027 season, including two in the Euroleague and two in the FIBA Europe Cup.
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