VTB United League

VTB United League
Founded 2008 (2008)
First season 2008
Country  Russia
Other club(s) from  Belarus
 Estonia
 Kazakhstan
 Latvia
 Poland
Number of teams 14
Level on pyramid 1
Domestic cup(s) Russian Cup
International cup(s) EuroLeague
EuroCup
Champions League
FIBA Europe Cup
Current champions Russia CSKA Moscow
(9th title)
Most championships Russia CSKA Moscow
(9 titles)
Website vtb-league.com
2018–19 season

VTB United League (Russian: Единая Лига ВТБ) is an international professional men's club basketball league that was founded in 2008. It is made up of mostly Russian clubs, with some others from surrounding countries. Since 2013, it is the first tier of Russian professional club basketball. Therefore, the highest placed Russian team in the league is also named Russian national champions. Its goal is to unite the leading basketball clubs of Eastern Europe and Northern Europe together into one league. The league is sponsored by VTB Bank.

The current champions are CSKA Moscow, who secured their 9th title after defeating Khimki 95:84 in the 2018 Final Four. The VTB United League also holds a youth competition, the VTB United Youth League.

Formats

In its inaugural 2009–10 season, the VTB United League featured clubs from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia and Ukraine. For the 2010–11 season, teams from Belarus, Finland and Poland were added to the league. The 2011–12 season featured a total of 18 teams, with new teams being added from the Czech Republic and Kazakhstan.[1] In the 2012–13 season, the number of teams increased to 20. The number of teams was decreased to 16 for the 2014–15 season, and the teams from Lithuania and Ukraine dropped out of the league.

History

The first step in the creation of the league was a competition named the VTB United League Promo-Cup held in Moscow in December, 2008.[2] The final of the Promo-Cup was played on December 22, 2008, and was won by CSKA Moscow, who defeated Khimki 70–66. Kyiv ended third.[3]

Unification with the Russian PBL

In May 2012, all the PBL clubs gathered to decide which format would be used for the next season, and some club's directors raised the possibility of uniting with the VTB United League, to produce greater competition between the Russian basketball clubs. They suggested that the new league would be named the Eastern European Professional Basketball League.[4][5][6]

In July 2012, the Council of VTB United League gave a definitive decision. It was decided that the PBL league would continue for one more year, with some of the games of the VTB United League that took place between two Russian clubs being counted as PBL games.[7] The first tier Russian clubs then replaced the PBL with the VTB United League as their new national domestic league, starting with the 2013-14 season.

The VTB United League was officially recognized by FIBA Europe in September 2013.[8][9] The league was then officially recognized by FIBA World in October 2014. The league needed to be recognized by both bodies, because it contains clubs that come from countries that are part of both the European and Asian FIBA zones.

Arena rules

In order for clubs to play in the VTB United League, they must have a home arena that has a seating capacity of at least 3,000 seats.[10]

Current clubs

Locations of teams in the 2018–19 VTB United League
Team Home city Arena Capacity
Kazakhstan AstanaAstanaArena Velotrack9,270[11]
Russia Avtodor SaratovSaratovDS Kristall5,500[12]
Russia CSKA MoscowMoscowUSC CSKA5,000[13]
Russia EniseyKrasnoyarskArena.Sever4,000[14]
Estonia Kalev/CramoTallinnSaku Suurhall5,500[15]
Russia KhimkiKhimkiBCMO4,000[16]
Russia Lokomotiv KubanKrasnodarBasket-Hall7,500[17]
Russia Nizhny NovgorodNizhny NovgorodTrade Union Sport Palace5,500[18]
Russia ParmaPermUDS Molot7,000
Belarus Tsmoki MinskMinskMinsk-Arena15,000[19]
Russia UNICSKazanBasket-Hall7,000[20]
Latvia VEF RīgaRigaArēna Rīga12,000[21]
Russia Zenit Saint PetersburgSaint PetersburgSK Yubileyniy6,381[22]
Poland Zielona GóraZielona GóraCRS Hall Zielona Góra6,080

Team appearances

Team 2008
(8)		 09–10
(8)		 10–11
(12)		 11–12
(18)		 12–13
(20)		 13–14
(20)		 14–15
(16)		 15–16
(16)		 16–17
(13)		 17–18
(13)
Belarus Tsmoki-MinskGSGSGSGS14th12th12th9th
Czech Republic NymburkGSGSGS15thQF
Estonia Kalev/CramoGSGSGSGS9th14th11th12th
Finland Bisons Loimaa13th13th
Finland Espoon HonkaGS
Finland Torpan PojatQR
Georgia (country) VITA Tbilisi16th
Kazakhstan Astana1/81/8QF15thQF10th
Latvia ASK Rīga7th
Latvia VEF RīgaGSGSQFGSGS11thQFQF
Lithuania Lietuvos rytasGS3rdGSSF
Lithuania NeptūnasGSGS
Lithuania ŠiauliaiQR
Lithuania Žalgiris5th3rd1/81/83rd
Poland AnwilQR
Poland Prokom8thGSGS
Poland TurówGSGS
Russia AvtodorQFQF10thQF
Russia CSKA1st1st2nd1st1st1st1st1st1st1st
Russia Dynamo4th
Russia EniseyGSGS1/811th10thQF13th
Russia Khimki2nd4th1stQF4thQF2ndSF2nd2nd
Russia Krasny Oktyabr1/812th9th
Russia Krasnye KryliaGSQFQF16th
Russia Lokomotiv Kuban4th2ndQFSFQFSFQF
Russia Nizhny Novgorod1/8QF2ndSFQF9thQF
Russia Parma13th11th
Russia SpartakQF1/81/8
Russia Triumph1/8QF
Russia UNICS2nd3rd2ndQFSFQF2ndQF4th
Russia Zenit1/8QFSFSF3rd
Ukraine Azovmash6thGS4thGSGSGS
Ukraine BudivelnikGS
Ukraine DniproGSQR
Ukraine DonetskGS1/8GS
Ukraine Kyiv3rd

Titles

Key to colors
     VTB United League Promo-Cup
Season Finals & Final Four Hosts Finals Third Place Playoff
Gold Score Silver Bronze Score Fourth Place
2008
Details		  Russia
(USK CSKA, Moscow) †
CSKA Moscow		 70–66
Khimki
Kyiv		 86–73
Dynamo Moscow
2009–10
Details		  Lithuania
(Sports Hall, Kaunas)
CSKA Moscow		 66–55
UNICS
Žalgiris		 78–72
Khimki
2010–11
Details		  Russia
(Basket Hall, Kazan)
Khimki		 66–64
CSKA Moscow
UNICS		 95–75
Azovmash
2011–12
Details		  Lithuania
(Siemens Arena, Vilnius)
CSKA Moscow		 74–62
UNICS
Lietuvos rytas		 91–83
Lokomotiv-Kuban
2012–13
Details		 In home and away court
CSKA Moscow		 3–1
Series
Lokomotiv-Kuban
Žalgiris		 Did not play
Khimki
2013–14
Details		 In home and away court
CSKA Moscow		 3–0
Series
Nizhny Novgorod
UNICS		 Did not play
Lietuvos rytas
2014–15
Details		 In home and away court
CSKA Moscow		 3–0
Series
Khimki
Lokomotiv-Kuban		 Did not play
Nizhny Novgorod
2015–16
Details		 In home and away court
CSKA Moscow		 3–1
Series
UNICS
Zenit		 Did not play
Khimki
2016–17
Details		 In home and away court
CSKA Moscow		 3–0
Series
Khimki
Zenit		 Did not play
Lokomotiv-Kuban
2017–18
Details		  Russia
(VTB Ice Palace, Moscow)
CSKA Moscow		 95:84
Khimki
Zenit		 93:79
UNICS

^† The whole 2008 tournament was staged in Moscow, including the Final Four.

Russian basketball clubs in European and worldwide competitions

Awards

Major awards

Awards by nationality

Records

See also

References

  1. ↑ "New clubs in the VTB United League". VTB United League. 28 March 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
  2. ↑ "About League". vtb-league.com. Archived from the original on 2009-10-19. Retrieved 2009-10-15.
  3. ↑ "PROMO-CUP: CSKA WIN". Sport Express. Archived from the original on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2009-10-24.
  4. ↑ 20 clubs will play in VTB United League championship in seasone-2012/13 Archived 2012-06-09 at the Wayback Machine., vtb-league.com, May 20, 2012
  5. ↑ "PBL looks to a better future". ULEB. 30 January 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
  6. ↑ Triumph applied an application to participate in the new season of VTB United League Archived 2013-10-14 at the Wayback Machine., may 20, 2012, vtb-league.com
  7. ↑ BEKO PBL Press service. "BEKO PBL Board suggests scheme of 2012/2013 season". pbleague.ru. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
  8. ↑ VTB League Officially Recognised.
  9. ↑ "FIBA Europe officially recognizes VTB United League". Archived from the original on 2014-10-12. Retrieved 2014-10-07.
  10. ↑ "Krasnye Krylia not to compete in VTB United League next season". Archived from the original on 2015-07-21. Retrieved 2015-07-21.
  11. ↑ "VTB United League". www.vtb-league.com. Retrieved 30 November 2017. Arena Velotrack Capacity: 9270 spectators
  12. ↑ "VTB United League". www.vtb-league.com. Retrieved 30 November 2017. DS Kristall Capacity: 5500
  13. ↑ "VTB United League". www.vtb-league.com. Retrieved 30 November 2017. USC CSKA named after Alexander Gomelskiy Capacity: 5000 spectators
  14. ↑ "VTB United League". www.vtb-league.com. Retrieved 30 November 2017. Arena.Sever Capacity: 4000 spectators
  15. ↑ "VTB United League". www.vtb-league.com. Retrieved 30 November 2017. «Saku Suurhall» Capacity: 5500 spectators
  16. ↑ "VTB United League". www.vtb-league.com. Retrieved 30 November 2017. Sportscomplex «BCMO» Capacity: 4000 spectators
  17. ↑ "VTB United League". www.vtb-league.com. Retrieved 30 November 2017. «Basket-hall» Capacity: 7500 spectators
  18. ↑ "VTB United League". www.vtb-league.com. Retrieved 30 November 2017. «Nizhniy Novgorod Trade Union Sport Palace» Capacity: 5500 spectators
  19. ↑ "VTB United League". www.vtb-league.com. Retrieved 30 November 2017. «Minsk-Arena» Capacity: 15,000 spectators
  20. ↑ "VTB United League". www.vtb-league.com. Retrieved 30 November 2017. Basket-Hall Capacity: 7000 spectators
  21. ↑ "VTB United League". www.vtb-league.com. Retrieved 30 November 2017. «Arena Riga» Capacity: 12000 spectators
  22. ↑ "VTB United League". www.vtb-league.com. Retrieved 30 November 2017. SK Yubileyniy Capacity: 6381 spectators
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