The
Eurocup (known as the ULEB Cup from 2002-2008) is the second-tier
transnational professional basketball competition in Europe. It is
composed of teams from European domestic national leagues that are
joined in and are a part of the ULEB (a French acronym for "Union of
European Leagues of Basketball"), and that also do not have a contract
to be in the Euroleague. ULEB Cup was created in 2002 and can be
considered as a fusion between the old FIBA Korać Cup and Saporta Cup
competitions.
Historically, the competition began with a group
phase in which the starting field was reduced to 16 teams. The
survivors then advanced to a knockout phase. In the inaugural 2002–03
competition, the knockout phase consisted entirely of two-legged ties.
The following year, the final became a one-off match, but all other
knockout ties remained two-legged.
In 2007–08, the initial phase, by now called the Regular Season, was
only used to reduce the field to 32 teams. The survivors were paired
into two-legged knockout ties, with the winners advancing to another
set of two-legged ties. The survivors then entered the first-ever Final
8 phase in the competition's history, consisting of one-off knockout
matches.
The following 2008–09 season was the first in which preliminary rounds
were conducted. That year saw two preliminary rounds held, the first
involving 16 teams and the second involving the eight winners plus
eight teams that had received byes into that round. The survivors of
the second preliminary round joined 24 direct qualifiers in the Regular
Season. This season also saw the introduction of the Last 16 group
phase, and proved to be the last for the Final 8.
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