VTB United League
VTB United League ( Russian Version: Единая Лига ВТБ ) is an international basketball league founded in 2008. The goal of the League is a competition for the leading basketball clubs of Eastern Europe. The main sponsor of the tournament is the VTB bank.
History
As a first step on the way to new competition was held in Moscow in December 2008 as a precursor of the VTB United League Promo Cup. In the final round of the Promo -Cup CSKA Moscow won on December 22, 2008 compared with Khimki 70-66. The league started in the first proper season 2009/2010 with clubs from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia and Ukraine. In the season 2010/2011 teams from Finland, Poland, and Belarus were added. In the season 2011/2012 the number of participating teams has grown to 18. There the teams from the Czech Republic and Kazakhstan were added newly. For the season 2012/2013 the number of participants increased to 20 teams.
Participant
In the VTB United League is a so-called "closed" league. The Management Committee and the sponsor decide on the admission of new or authorization of the existing club for the game operation. 2013/14 the 20 places that are distributed as follows:
- Russia: 10
- Lithuania: 2
- Ukraine: 2
- Belarus, Czech Republic, Estonia, Kazakhstan, Latvia and Poland: the first
Overview of all participants
Game Mode
The current game mode (2013/2014) consists of two phases:
- Regular - Season In the main game of the 20 participating teams divided into two groups of ten teams, a double round, each with opposite each home and away games. The six highest ranked of the regular season will take part in the play-offs.
- Play-off: In the second round the two top finishers in each group have byes. To progress two wins are needed. From the quarter- finals of the winner needs three victories to reach the next round.
All Finals
* Final VTB United League Promo Cup ** Finals for the first time in the best-of -five mode