London Lions will be amongst 44 other clubs to participate in the fifth season of the Basketball Champions League.
The Lions will become the second BBL team to participate in the European competition, following Leicester Riders who competed two seasons ago.
The final lineup was validated and confirmed by the Board of Basketball Champions League meeting held via video conference Thursday evening.
Due to the exceptional circumstances related to the COVID-19 crisis, the BCL Board decided to grant a Regular Season spot to all teams still competing for the 2019-20 Basketball Champions League title, confirming therefore 28 teams to enter directly in the Regular Season.
The 2020-21 Basketball Champions League will get under way on September 15, with the first of two qualifying rounds, ahead of the Regular Season tip off scheduled for October 13.
A total of 32 teams will contest the Regular Season with four qualifiers joining the 28 clubs directly qualified. They will play in four groups of 8 teams each, with the top four in each group going through to best-of-3 Round of 16 and Quarter-Finals that will determine the Final Four.The overall winner will earn the coveted €1 million prize money.
The full line-up is as follows (alphabetically, per country):
Regular Season (alphabetically)AEK (GRE), Brose Bamberg (GER), Casademont Zaragoza (ESP), Cholet (FRA), Darussafaka Tekfen (TUR), Dinamo Banco di Sardegna Sassari (ITA), ERA Nymburk (CZE), Falco Vulcano Szombathely (HUN), Filou Oostende (BEL), Fortitudo Bologna (ITA), Galatasaray Doga Sigorta (TUR), Hapoel Bank Yahav Jerusalem (ISR), Hapoel Holon (ISR), Happy Casa Brindisi (ITA), Iberostar Tenerife (ESP), JDA Dijon (FRA), Limoges CSP (FRA), Nizhny Novgorod (RUS), Peristeri (GRE), Pinar Karsiyaka (TUR), RETAbet Bilbao (ESP), Rytas Vilnius (LTU), San Pablo Burgos (ESP), SIG Strasbourg (FRA), Start Lublin (POL), Tofas Bursa (TUR), Turk Telekom (TUR), VEF Riga (LAT).
Qualification Rounds (alphabetically)Anwil Wloclawek (POL), Bakken Bears Aarhus (DEN), Balkan Botevgrad (BUL), Belfius Mons-Hainaut (BEL), Dnipro (UKR), Donar Groningen (NED), Fribourg Olympic (SUI), Hapoel Tel Aviv (ISR), Igokea (BIH), Iraklis (GRE), Keravnos (CYP), London Lions (GBR), Neptunas Klaipeda (LTU), Sporting Clube de Portugal (POR), Tsmoki-Minsk (BLR), U-Banca Transilvania Cluj Napoca (ROU).
“The 2020-21 lineup is evidence that the BCL is continuously growing,” said Basketball Champions League CEO, Patrick Comninos. “It remains true to its mission of delivering a competitive European competition which showcases basketball across the continent and is open to all clubs which qualify on merit through their domestic league performances.”
An initial draw sorting the Qualification Rounds and the Regular Season phase will take place at the House of Basketball on Wednesday July 15.
The ceremony can be followed live on championsleague.basketball from 11:00 (GMT+2).
