1958 FIBA European Champions Cup

The 1958 FIBA European Champions Cup was the inaugural season of the European top-tier level professional basketball club competition FIBA European Champions Cup (now called EuroLeague). It was won by Rīgas ASK, after they won both EuroLeague Finals games against Academic. Previously, they had not played the semifinals, as Real Madrid was not allowed to travel to Soviet Riga by the Francoist authorities. The first game was held on February 22, 1958, in Brussels, Belgium, where Belgian League champion Royal IV, defeated the Luxembourger League champions, Etzella Ettelbruck, by a score of 82–43.[1] The most notable contributors to Riga's first title included center Jānis Krūmiņš and head coach Alexander Gomelsky.

1958 FIBA European Champions Cup
Competition details
Season 1958
Teams 23
Final positions
Champions Rīgas ASK (1st title)
Runners-up Academic

Competition system

23 teams. European national domestic league champions only, playing in a tournament system. The Finals were a two-game home and away aggregate.

Preliminary round

Group A (Northeast Europe)
Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Rīgas ASK 176–112 Wissenschaft Berlin 85–56 91–56
Pantterit 131–133 Legia Warsaw 64–62 67–71

Group B (Central Europe)

First round
Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Jonction 54–84* Slovan Orbis 54–84
Union Babenberg 98–191 Honvéd 55–83 43-108
Simmenthal Milano 205–89 The Wolves Amsterdam 115–47 90-42

*Series decided over one game played in Switzerland.

Second round

The winners of the three pairs in Group B played against each other, in a tournament held in Milan, in order to determine the two clubs that would progress to the Quarterfinals

Team 1  Score  Team 2
Simmenthal Milano 65 – 47 Slovan Orbis Praha
Slovan Orbis Praha 52–61 Honvéd
Simmenthal Milano 80–72 Honvéd
Key to colors
     Qualified to Quarter-finals
     Eliminated
Team Pld W L PF PA PD Pts
Simmenthal Milano 2 2 0 145 119+26 4
Honvéd 2 1 1 133 132+1 3
Slovan Orbis Praha 2 0 2 99 126−27 2

Group C (Southeast Europe)

First round
Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Jeunesse Sportivo Alep –* Union Beirut – –

*Union Beirut withdrew

Second round
Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Panellinios 132–138 CCA București 60–63 72–75
Modaspor 112–160 AŠK Olimpija 67–74 45–86
Academic 157–101 Jeunesse Sportivo Alep 84–58 73–43

Third round
Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Academic 161–144 AŠK Olimpija 81–80 80–64
CCA București 147–126 Maccabi Tel Aviv 84–65 63–61

Group D (Southwest Europe)

First round
Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Royal IV 145–79 Etzella 82–43 63–36

Second round
Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Royal IV 174–127 ASVEL 81–51 93–76
Barreirense 90–154 Real Madrid 51–68 40–86

Quarterfinals
Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
CCA București 142–150 Academic 64–73 78–77
Simmenthal Milano 165–167 Honvéd 80–72* 85–95
Real Madrid 121–116 Royal IV 78–59 43–57
Rīgas ASK 154–122 Legia Warsaw 93–59 61–63

*The result of the game between the two clubs in the tournament of the 1st Round's Group B was used as a result for the 1st leg.

Semifinals
Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Honvéd 151–165 Academic 87–89 64–76
Rīgas ASK – * Real Madrid

*Real Madrid withdrew as they were not allowed to travel to the Soviet Union.[2]

Finals
Team 1 Agg. Team 2 1st leg 2nd leg
Rīgas ASK 170–152 Academic 86–81 84–71
1958 FIBA European Champions Cup
Champions

Rīgas ASK
1st Title

Awards

FIBA European Champions Cup Finals Top Scorer

References
  1. February 22, 1958: The day it all started
  2. Champions Cup 1958
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