In the first phase in Group A he offered us a great duel between three of the big teams in the competition, where he finally led Obradovic’s Fenerbahce Ulker followed closely by CSKA Moscow and Barcelona. In Group B, an undefeated Real Madrid found no rival, the same in Group C with an intractable Olympiacos. Finally, in Group D, Maccabi led with solvency. The surprise of this first phase was the early elimination of Montepaschi Siena
This season 24 teams begin where in the first phase are framed in three groups of eight teams. After a league of 14 days will qualify the top five of each group and the best sixth team for the TOP16
A historic event took place in the summer of 2000. Some of Europe’s top teams dissatisfied with FIBA’s economic dealings with them decided to create an organisation called the European Basketball Leagues Union (ULEB) and create a parallel competition under its mandate. During the whole summer, both FIBA and ULEB did not reach an agreement and the grotesque situation of competing for two European Cups, the one of all life, the one of FIBA, which decided to be called Suproleague and the new one, the one of ULEB, which would be called Euroleague. The teams on each side were completing the two competitions, the schism for European basketball clubs was served
