Total League

Total League
Current season, competition or edition:
Current sports event 2014-15
Formerly Diekirch League
Sport Basketball
Founded 1934
No. of teams 10
Country Luxembourg Luxembourg
Continent Europe Europe
Most recent champion(s) T71 Dudelange (2015)
Most titles Nitia Bettembourg
(16 titles)
Sponsor(s) Total S.A.
Level on pyramid 1
Relegation to Nationale 2
Official website flbb.lu/totalleague

The Division Nationale 1 of the Luxembourg basketball championship, officially named the Total League for sponsorship reasons is the highest basketball league in Luxembourg.

History

The league is organised by the Luxembourgian Basketball Federation (FLBB).[1] The FLBB signed a 3 year naming deal with French oil and gas company Total in June 2012 that will also see Total engage in promotional activities for the league, it succeeds the outgoing sponsorship of the league by the Diekirch alcohol brand.[2]

The league is semi-professional, while most local players do not receive a salary, foreign players, the immense majority Americans,[3] are usually paid.[4] Furthermore all clubs have to be not for profit as per the league statutes.[5]

There are two player statuses, JICL (french acronym for “player registered with a Luxembourgian club”) and non-JICL, the first has to have obtained a license from a FLBB club before their 16th birthday, have one for at least three seasons between their 16th and 21st birthday or have been “assimilated” over time (before 2012).[5]

The non-JICL's were officially restricted to 2 per team until a July 2013 decision by the European Commission adjudged it was contrary to the Schengen Agreement.[6] Following that decision, the rule was scrapped but replaced by a gentlemen's agreement to keep the number at 2, though some have signed a third non-JICL player, arguing they were part-time players.[3]

Format

After the qualification where all teams play each other twice each at home and way, the points accrued are divided by two and the next phase starts. The first six ranked teams play for the title, with semi-finals for the best four teams of that phase (best of three games), followed by a final to decide the title (also best of three).

Meanwhile the other four teams join the best four teams from the second tier Nationale 2 (whose points are also divided by two) 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.[5]

The team's arenas have to hold at least 150 spectators, from the start of the playoff semi-finals the minimum is raised to 300.[5]

Current clubs

Title holders

Performance by club

Titles Club Years
16 Nitia Bettembourg 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
14 Etzella Ettelbruck 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
12 T71 Dudelange 1974-75, 1975-76, 1976-77, 1981-82, 1982-83, 1983-84, 1984-85, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15
11 Sparta Bertrange 1957-58, 1959-60, 1968-69, 1973-74, 1978-79, 1985-86, 1986-87, 2004-05, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2011-12
5 Amicale 1970-71, 1972-73, 1977-78, 1979-80, 1980-81
4 Contern 1987-88, 2000-01, 2003-04, 2008-09
Hiefenech 1988-89, 1989-90, 1990-91, 1995-96
Résidence 1992-93, 1993-94, 1994-95, 1996-97
3 Racing Luxembourg 1966-67, 1997-98, 1999-00
2 Black Star Mersch 1965-66, 1967-68
1 Black Boys Kayl 1951-52
Rou'de Le'w Kayl 1958-59
Soleuvre 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, such as a €5,000 registration fee notwithstanding other costs, an arena that seats at least 2000 without non-basketball lines and games played on weekdays,[7] are thought to restrict their participation.[8]

Highlights

Competition Team Opponent(s) Round(s) Home  Away  Aggregate
Champions Cup 1958 Luxembourg Etzella Ettelbruck Belgium Royal Anderlecht Group stage 43 – 82[lower-alpha 2] 36 - 63 79 - 145
Cup Winners Cup 1974 Luxembourg Sparta Bertrange Scotland Paisley BC
Romania Steaua București		 Second round[lower-alpha 3]
Round of 16		 105 - 93
77 - 108		 64 - 51
77 - 117		 169 - 144
154 - 225
Champions Cup 1978 Luxembourg T71 Dudelange Germany Bayer 04 Leverkusen
Spain Real Madrid
Portugal GC Figueirense		 Group stage 78 – 85
63 - 94
96 - 87		 71 - 97
60 - 118
65 - 69		 3rd/4 teams
Champions Cup 1979 Luxembourg Amicale Steinsel Portugal Sporting Clube
Italy Emerson Varese		 Group stage 87 – 82
68 - 108		 99 - 94
71 - 123		 2nd/3 teams
Champions Cup 1991 Luxembourg U.S. Hiefenech (Telekurs) East Germany BSG AdW Berlin
Spain FC Barcelona		 First round
Round of 16		 98 - 84
73 - 113		 92 - 96
77 - 117		 190 - 180
150 - 230
Korać Cup 1994 Luxembourg U.S. Hiefenech (Telekurs) Wales Cardiff Bay Heat
Germany EnBW Ludwigsburg		 First round
Second round		 78 - 72
80 - 86		 89 - 79
69 - 105		 167 - 151
149 - 191

Notes

  1. ↑ Official names in French as per linguistic rules.
  2. ↑ First European Champions Cup game ever played.
  3. ↑ First round bye.

References

  1. 1 2 "Présentation de la FLBB.", Luxembourg Basketball Federation. Retrieved on 29 May 2015.(French)
  2. ↑ Cushnan, David. "Luxembourg league gets new sponsor.", SportsPro, 18 June 2012. Retrieved on 28 May 2015.
  3. 1 2 "19 of the 20 professionals come from the U.S.", Luxemburger Wort, 8 August 2014. Retrieved on 29 May 2015.(German)
  4. ↑ Johnson, John R."Braintree’s Ryan Sharry lighting it up on the court in Luxembourg.", The Boston Globe, 16 January 2014. Retrieved on 28 May 2015.
  5. 1 2 3 4 "Rules and statutes.", Luxembourg Basketball Federation, November 2014. Retrieved on 29 May 2015.(French)
  6. ↑ "The EU commission criticises JICL restrictions.", Luxemburger Wort, 19 July 2013. Retrieved on 29 May 2015.(German)
  7. ↑ "Regulations governing the EuroChallenge (2014/2015).", FIBA Europe, 10 September 2014. Retrieved on 29 May 2015.
  8. ↑ "T71 will not play in a European competition.", Basketnews.lu (Content website), 19 June 2013. Retrieved on 29 May 2015.

External links

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