Luxembourg Basketball League

For the Luxembourgian women's basketball league, see Nationale 1 Dames.
Luxembourg Basketball League
SportBasketball
Founded1933
No. of teams10
CountryLuxembourg
ContinentEurope
Most recent
champion(s)		Esch (1st title)
(2022–23)
Most titlesNitia
(16 titles)
Sponsor(s)Total
Level on pyramid1
Relegation toNationale 2
Domestic cup(s)Luxembourg Cup
Official websiteluxembourg.basketball

The Nationale 1 Hommes, officially named the Luxembourg Basketball League (LBBL), is the highest men's basketball league in Luxembourg. The league's governing body is Fédération Luxembourgeoise de Basketball (FLBB).[1] The league was previously known by sponsorships names Diekirch League and Total League.[2]

About

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As the Luxembourg Basketball League is semi-professional, all clubs are run as not-for-profit.[3] Each team in the league is allowed to have two American players on the roster. While most local players do not receive a salary, American players are paid.[4][5]

There are two player statuses: JICL (French acronym for "player registered with a Luxembourgish club") and non-JICL. To be classified as JICL, a player has to have obtained a license from a FLBB club before their 16th birthday, or have one for at least three seasons between their 16th and 21st birthday. Prior to the 2013–14 season, each team was only allowed two non-JICL players, no exceptions. In July 2013, the European Commission adjudged the ruling was contrary to the Schengen Agreement.[6] Following that decision, the rule was scrapped and replaced by a gentlemen's agreement to keep the number at two, though some have signed a third non-JICL player, arguing they were part-time players.[5]

Format

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During the regular season, each team plays the other nine teams twice, one at home and one away (10 teams, 18 games, 18 rounds). After this, the top six teams move on to the second stage, where they play a further 10 games against each other. The top four teams at the conclusion of the second stage move on to the playoffs. In the semi-finals, the No. 1 seed plays the No. 4 seed, and the No. 2 seed plays the No. 3 seed. The winner of each best-of-three semi-final moves on to the Finals series to decide the title (also best-of-three).[7]

Meanwhile, the bottom four teams after the regular season join the best four teams from the second-tier Nationale 2 to play for relegation and promotion respectively. The two worst ranked Nationale 1 teams are relegated whilst the two best Nationale 2 teams are promoted.

Current clubs

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Current clubs
Club[a] City Arena Founded Last title
AB Contern Contern Hall sportif "Um Ewent" 1956 2009
Amicale Steesel Steinsel Hall omnisports "Alain Marchetti" 1947 2022
Racing Luxembourg Luxembourg Centre sportif Tramsschapp 1950 2000
Basket Esch Esch-sur-Alzette Hall omnisport Esch-sur-Alzette 1959 2023
Etzella Ettelbruck Ettelbruck Centre sportif du Deich 1934 2006
Musel Pikes Stadtbredimus Sporthal Stadbriedemes 2000 Never
Résidence Walferdange Walferdange Centre Prince Henri 1965 1997
Sparta Bertrange Bertrange Centre Atert 1935 2012
T71 Dudelange Dudelange Salle Fos Grimler 1971 2021
Union Sportive Hiefenech Heffingen Centre sportif Heffingen 1959 1996
Former clubs
Club City Arena Founded Last season Last title
Arantia Larochette Larochette Hall sportif Centre Filano 1964 2017 Never
Black Star Mersch Mersch Hall omnisports Mersch 1934 2015 1968
Nitia Bettembourg Bettembourg Centre sportif Bettembourg 1932 2012 1953
AS Soleuvre Soleuvre Centre sportif "Roger Krier" 1937 2017 2002
B.C. Mess Mondercange Complexe sportif Mondercange 1967 2007 Never

Title holders

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Source:[8]

Finals 2003-2023

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Season Winner Runner-up Score
2003–04 Contern Sparta Bertrange 2–0
2004–05 Sparta Bertrange Etzella 2–1
2005–06 Etzella Sparta Bertrange 2–0
2006–07 Sparta Bertrange T71 Dudelange 2–0
2007–08 Sparta Bertrange Musel Pikes 2–0
2008–09 Contern Musel Pikes 2–1
2009–10 T71 Dudelange Sparta Bertrange 2–1
2010–11 T71 Dudelange Etzella 2–1
2011–12 Sparta Bertrange T71 Dudelange 2–0
2012–13 T71 Dudelange Amicale 2–0
2013–14 T71 Dudelange Amicale 2–1
2014–15 T71 Dudelange Amicale 2–1
2015–16 Amicale Musel Pikes 2–0
2016–17 Amicale Musel Pikes 2–1
2017–18 Amicale Etzella 3–0
2018–19 Etzella T71 Dudelange 3–1
2019–20 None held due to COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21 T71 Dudelange Esch 2–0
2021–22 Amicale Steesel T71 Dudelange 3–2
2022–23 Esch Amicale
3–1

Performance by club

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Club Titles Years
Nitia 16 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
Etzella 15 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, 2018–19
T71 Dudelange 13 1974–75, 1975–76, 1976–77, 1981–82, 1982–83, 1983–84, 1984–85, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2020–21
Sparta Bertrange 11 1957–58, 1959–60, 1968–69, 1973–74, 1978–79, 1985–86, 1986–87, 2004–05, 2006–07, 2007–08, 2011–12
Amicale 9 1970–71, 1972–73, 1977–78, 1979–80, 1980–81, 2015–16, 2016–17, 2017–18, 2021–22
Contern 4 1987–88, 2000–01, 2003–04, 2008–09
Hiefenech 4 1988–89, 1989–90, 1990–91, 1995–96
Résidence 4 1992–93, 1993–94, 1994–95, 1996–97
Racing Luxembourg 3 1966–67, 1997–98, 1999–00
Black Star Mersch 2 1965–66, 1967–68
Black Boys Kayl 1 1951–52
Rou'de Le'w Kayl 1 1958–59
Soleuvre 1 2001–02
Esch
1
 2022–23

European competition

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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 that restrict their participation are: a €5,000 registration fee notwithstanding other costs, an arena that seats at least 2000 without non-basketball lines, and games played on weekdays.[9]

Highlights

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Competition Team Opponent(s) Round(s) Home  Away  Aggregate
Champions Cup 1958 Luxembourg Etzella Belgium Royal IV Group stage 43 – 82[b] 36 – 63 79 – 145
Cup Winners' Cup 1974 Luxembourg Sparta Bertrange Scotland Paisley BC
Romania Steaua București 		Second round[c]
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 Portugal Sporting
Italy Emerson Varese 		Group stage 87 – 82
68 – 108 		99 – 94
71 – 123 		2nd/3 teams
Champions Cup 1991 Luxembourg Telekurs Hiefenech 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 Telekurs Hiefenech Wales Cardiff Bay Heat
Germany EnBW Ludwigsburg 		First round
Second round 		78 – 72
80 – 86 		89 – 79
69 – 105 		167–151
149–191

Notes

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

References

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  1. ^ a b Présentation de la FLBB (in French)
  2. ^ Luxembourg league gets new sponsor
  3. ^ STATUTS ET REGLEMENTS (in French)
  4. ^ Braintree's Ryan Sharry lighting it up on the court in Luxembourg
  5. ^ a b 19 von 20 Profis kommen aus den USA (in German)
  6. ^ EU-Kommission beanstandet JICL-Regelung (in German)
  7. ^ Luxembourg Basketball 2015–16
  8. ^ List of Champions of Luxembourg; Luxembourg Basketball Federation.
  9. ^ T71 will not play in a European competition
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