<p>Few sports can move beyond a country’s borders and take on a truly global audience. Soccer, basketball, cricket, hockey, and tennis are among those few, attracting viewers and potential players from nearly every place on the planet.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Despite the massive audiences each sport draws in weekly, it would be easy enough to think that there is little opportunity for crossover across different sports, yet basketball’s <a href="https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">EuroLeague</a> dismisses such a suggestion.</p>



<p>The equivalent to soccer’s Champions League, the EuroLeague has pitted the best teams from across the continent against one another for over sixty-five years. Several of the dominant sides in the league represent the most popular soccer clubs in Europe due to the usage of a multi-sport model. Each season, eighteen teams participate, ten of which use a multi-sport model in which they have an elite-level soccer team. </p>



<h2>Soccer clubs dominating European basketball</h2>



<p>With the EuroLeague remaining the elite competition in European basketball, here are the soccer teams that have a basketball counterpart dominating the competition.</p>



<p><strong>Honorable mentions – Bayern Munich, Monaco. Maccabi Tel Aviv &amp; Fenerbahçe:</strong></p>



<p>Despite both <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/bayern-munich-tv-schedule/">Bayern Munich</a> and Monaco failing to replicate their soccer successes on the basketball court, both have made efforts to leave their mark on the sport. Neither side as of the time of writing has reached a EuroLeague final, but both currently find themselves in the top ten positions of the competition. Monaco in particular has shown signs of improvement in recent years, finishing third in the league stage of last season, as well as finishing third overall in the previous season.&nbsp;</p>



<p>In the case of Fenerbahçe, the Turkish team reached three consecutive finals starting in the 2015-2016 season, with the side picking up their first EuroLeague trophy amidst this three-season run. Finally, Israeli side Maccabi Tel Aviv has collected over one hundred major honors in their history including fifty-seven Israeli League titles. Their performances in Europe have seen Maccabi Tel Aviv claim the fourth most EuroLeague championships of any side with six.</p>



<h2><strong>Real Madrid – EuroLeague titles: 11</strong></h2>



<p>Embodying the <a href="https://worldsoccertalk.com/teams/real-madrid-tv-schedule/">Real Madrid</a> DNA, the greatest team in European soccer history is also the greatest team in European basketball history. With twenty-one EuroLeague final appearances, eleven of which have resulted in victory for Los Blancos, no team has lifted the historic trophy as many times as Real.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Famous ex-players for Real include five-time NBA All-Star Luka Dončić, who spent three years with the Spanish giants before being drafted as the 3rd pick in the 2018 NBA draft. His final season in Spain saw him crowned the EuroLeague MVP as he helped Real lift the league title. In the years since both club and player have continued to dominate in their respective fields.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Across the last three seasons, Real has reached the final of the EuroLeague in all three years, a streak they will look to continue this campaign. Meanwhile, Dončić was named the NBA’s Rookie of the Year in 2019, as well as scoring the most points in the league across the 23-24 NBA season.</p>



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<h2><strong>Panathinaikos – EuroLeague titles: 7</strong></h2>



<p>Whilst the NBA’s ‘Greek Freak’ Giannis Antetokounmpo has continued to tear up the NBA, the EuroLeague has seen Panathinaikos, a team led by his younger brother Kostas have similar levels of success. With twenty-two NBA appearances under his belt, Kostas is now part of the Panathinaikos side that went on to lift their seventh EuroLeague last season.</p>



<p>Battling off fierce competition, the Greek side would finish 2nd in last season’s regular season stage, before beating Maccabi Tel Aviv 3-2 in a best-of-five series in the quarter-finals. They would then go onto face and beat Fenerbahce and ultimately Real Madrid, to secure their place as the now defending EuroLeague champions.&nbsp;</p>



<p>Domestically Panathinaikos’ success has been irrefutable. Far and away the best team in Greek League history, the team in green and white have won their domestic league on a record forty occasions. The highlight of Panathinaikos’ domestic success was a staggering run of nine seasons where they were crowned champions stretching from the 02/03 season to the 10/11 campaign.</p>



<h2><strong>Barcelona – EuroLeague titles: 2</strong></h2>



<p>Even if Barcelona has not quite managed to equal the five European titles that their soccer outfit has won, on the basketball court the club has consistently remained one of the best teams in the EuroLeague.</p>



<p>With Jabari Parker, 2019 EuroLeague MVP Jan Veselý and Justin Anderson, Barcelona’s squad features three first-round picks from their respective NBA drafts. Including the rest of the squad, and then you’re looking at a team that has a combined 1,898 NBA appearances, multiple Olympic bronze medals, and one EuroLeague championship.&nbsp;</p>



<p>So, despite being without a EuroLeague championship since the 09/10 season, the Catalan side has shown huge promise of late, reaching the top four three times since the 20/21 campaign. As of the end of October, Barcelona stands as the league leader, winning five of their opening six games, only losing in their opening game against Lithuanian side Žalgiris Kaunas.</p>



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<h2><strong>Olympiacos – EuroLeague titles: 3</strong></h2>



<p>On the soccer pitch, Olympiacos are the reigning European Conference League champions. On the court, the team’s three EuroLeague titles place them as one of the most successful in the competition’s history.</p>



<p>Though the Greek side has been without a EuroLeague championship for over a decade, they have remained one of the best teams in the competition in the years since their last title. Across the last ten years, Olympiacos have finished in the top four places on five occasions, only losing the 22/23 final by a single point to Real Madrid. Aided by the arrival of former NBA shooting guard Evan Fournier in September, Olympiacos will look to go one step further this season and win the EuroLeague championship once again.&nbsp;</p>



<p><em>For viewers in the United States wanting to watch their soccer clubs in European basketball games, the EuroLeague is available on ESPN3.</em></p>



<p><em>Photo: IMAGO / Scanpix</em></p>

EuroLeague? The soccer clubs dominating European basketball

Soccer clubs and European basketball mix in an unusual way in the EuroLeague. We take a look at the most successful soccer clubs in bball.

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After strong showings in the first leg of the playoff round, both Lyon and Arsenal are in a comfortable position to enter the group stage. Lyon can claim a tenth consecutive group-stage appearance unless they completely fall apart. The French club overwhelmed RSC Anderlecht 5-1 last week, while a 2-0 deficit would appear insurmountable for Celtic FC as they travel to London to take on Arsenal. <p></p>
<p>Celtic have to overcome a Gunners side in top form if they are to progress – they must win away in Europe for only the second time in 24 matches. Celtic have fought back from a home defeat once already in this season’s qualifiers, beating Dinamo Moscow 2-0 in Moscow on goals from Scott McDonald and Georgios Samaras to make overturn a 1-0 first-leg loss in Glasgow. It was Celtic’s first away win in Europe in 23 matches. A win for Arsenal will mean a 12th successive appearance in the UEFA Champions League. On current form, I simply cannot see Arsenal losing 3-0 at home to Celtic</p>
<p>Despite their gutsy performance, Panathinaikos find themselves needing to make history on two fronts to book a place in the group stage of the Champions League. Beyond needing to win on Spanish soil for the first time in their history, they must also mount a first successful comeback from an opening home loss in Europe competition. On the five previous occasions Panathinaikos have entered a return fixture after a defeat in Athens, they have go on to lose the tie. Atletico are sitting in a good spot having scored 3 away goals in the opening leg with strikes from Maxi Rodríguez, Diego Forlán and Sergio Agüero.</p>
<p>I think there is simply too much stacked against the Greek side and that we’ll see Atletico celebrating a return to the group stage. Henk ten Cate, the Panathinaikos manager, admitted to uefa.com that he felt some of his players would be affected psychologically by the fires in Athens. The club doctors told the team to refrain from training because the smoke in the air could have been hazardous for the players. I certainly feel for the players and their families and I hope the wildfires are brought under control.</p>
<p>It’s not all doom and gloom for the losers in this playoff round as they will continue their European campaigns in the UEFA Europa League group stage. </p>


Champions League 2009-10: Anderlecht and Celtic Looking For Miracles - World Soccer Talk

Champions League 2009-10: Anderlecht and Celtic Looking For Miracles

<p></p><div><figure class="image"></figure></div>Part of the changes to qualification this year sees the champions of smaller domestic leagues gaining the chance to reach the group stage of the Champions League.<p></p>
<p>In the Champions Path, the feature match-up should be between FC Zurich and FK Ventspils. Latvian titleholders Ventspils edged past last season’s group stage participant FC BATE Borisov on away goals despite losing 2-1 away in the second leg of their Third Qualifying Round tie. Ventspils have a balanced attack but their main goal threat is Andrejs Butriks, who had a trial with Blackpool in England during the January 2008 transfer window. Butriks has remained in Latvia and been a consistent threat. </p>
<p>Swiss champions FC Zurich have a couple of players to keep an eye on. Johan Vonlanthen, despite being only 23, has already gained extensive experience in his career in stints with PSV Eindhoven, Brescia and Red Bull Salzburg. Up front, the pair of Swiss youngster Almen Abdi and French import Eric Hassli combined for 36 goals in 36 Swiss league games.</p>
<p>The glamour matchup in the Non-Champions Path sees Arsenal take on Celtic but the game that may produce a shock result is the Panathinaikos – Atlético Madrid tie. Panathinaikos scored a massive 3-0 win to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the second leg of their Third Qualifying Round tie with AC Sparta Praha. With experienced players like Gilberto and Giorgos Karagounis complemented by the pace and skill of Sebastián Leto and Djibril Cissé, Atletico could have a tough scrap on their hands.</p>
<p>The full playoff round match-ups (games to be played on August 18 and 26) are as follows:</p>
<p><strong>Non-champions Path</strong><br>
Arsenal FC (England)                  v           Celtic FC (Scotland)<br>
Olympique Lyonnais (France)	    v        RSC Anderlecht (Belgium)<br>
Sporting Clube de Portugal (Portugal)   v ACF Fiorentina (Italy)<br>
Panathinaikos FC (Greece)         v           Club Atlético de Madrid (Spain)<br>
VfB Stuttgart (Germany)	        v           FC Timisoara (Romania)</p>
<p><strong>Champions Path</strong><br>
Olympiacos CFP (Greece)  v   FC Sheriff (Moldova)<br>
FC København (Denmark)	 v   APOEL FC (Cyprus)<br>
PFC Levski Sofia (Bulgaria) v  Debreceni VSC (Hungary)<br>
Maccabi Haifa FC (Israel)	v   FC Salzburg (Austria)<br>
FC Zürich (Switzerland)	v    FK Ventspils (Latvia)</p>


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EuroLeague? The soccer clubs dominating European basketball

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Champions League 2009-10: Anderlecht and Celtic Looking For Miracles

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Champions League 2009-10: Playoff Round Preview