1965–66 FIBA European Champions Cup
| 1965–66 FIBA European Champions Cup | |
|---|---|
| League | FIBA European Champions Cup |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Final Four | |
| Champions | Italy Simmenthal Milano |
| Runners-up | Czechoslovakia Slavia VŠ Praha |
The 1965–66 FIBA European Champions Cup was the ninth season of the European top-tier level professional basketball club competition FIBA European Champions Cup (now called EuroLeague). It was won by Simmenthal Milano, for the first time in its history, the first of the club's three EuroLeague championships. Simmenthal defeated Slavia VŠ Praha, by a score of 77–72, in the final of the first ever Champions Cup Final Four held in the EuroLeague competition, with two venues used: a venue in Milan, and the Palazzo dello sport arena in Bologna, Italy.[1] The Italian team, featuring future the Basketball Hall of Fame member Bill Bradley, defeated the favorites and former champs, CSKA Moscow, in the semifinal, by a score of 57–68.
Competition system
26 teams. European national domestic league champions, plus the then current FIBA European Champions Cup title holders only, playing in a tournament system. The competition culminated in a Final Four.
First round
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg | 3rd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fenerbahçe Turkey | 143–146 | Romania Dinamo București | 85–71 | 58–75 | |
| Wiener Austria | 139–161 | East Germany Vorwärts Leipzig | 75–82 | 64–79 | |
| Gladsaxe Efterslægten Denmark | 96–171 | Czechoslovakia Slavia VŠ Praha | 57–84 | 39–87 | |
| Gießen 46ers West Germany | 150–191 | Italy Simmenthal Milano | 77–88 | 73–103 | |
| Etzella Luxembourg | 98–162 | Bulgaria CSKA Cherveno zname | 51–72 | 47–90 | |
| Collegians Northern Ireland | 84–152 | France Denain Voltaire | 51–78 | 33–74 | |
| KR Iceland | 109–149 | Sweden Alvik | 48–60 | 61–89 | |
| AEK Greece | 153–150 | Poland Wisła Kraków | 72–71 | 81–79 | |
| Wydad AC Morocco | 193–191* | Portugal Benfica | 53–54 | 77–76 | 63-61 |
| Aldershot Warriors England | 144–213 | Belgium Racing Mechelen | 83–113 | 61–100 |
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*Series decided over a third game after having tied aggregate score after the two home-away games.
Second round
| Team 1 | Agg. | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg | 3rd leg |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Racing Mechelen Belgium | 210–150 | Finland Helsingin Kisa-Toverit | 116–79 | 99–74 | |
| Honvéd Hungary | 143–182 | Czechoslovakia Slavia VŠ Praha | 62–100 | 81–82 | |
| Vorwärts Leipzig East Germany | 123–175 | Soviet Union CSKA Moscow | 66–87 | 57–88 | |
| Wydad AC Morocco | 172–238 | Greece AEK | 96–113 | 76–125 | |
| Alvik Sweden | 149–201 | Spain Real Madrid | 88–113 | 61–91 | |
| Denain Voltaire France | 126–139 | Bulgaria CSKA Cherveno zname | 61–53 | 65–86 | |
| Hapoel Tel Aviv Israel | 118–187 | Italy Simmenthal Milano | 65–80 | 53–87 | |
| Dinamo București Romania | 207–213* | Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia Zadar | 92–78 | 56–70 | 59-65 |
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*Series decided over a third game after having tied aggregate score after the two home-away games.
Quarterfinals group stage
For the first time in the competition history, the quarterfinals were played with a round-robin system, in which every Two Game series (TGS) constituted as one game for the record. A third decisive game was played if the aggregate score of the first two games was tied.
| Top two places in each group advance to Semifinals |
Final four
Semifinals
March 31, Milan
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Slavia VŠ Praha Czechoslovakia | 103–73 | Greece AEK |
March 30, Palazzo dello sport, Bologna
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| CSKA Moscow Soviet Union | 57–68 | Italy Simmenthal Milano |
3rd place game
April 1, Milan
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| AEK Greece | 62–85 | Soviet Union CSKA Moscow |
Final
April 1, Palazzo dello sport, Bologna
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
|---|---|---|
| Simmenthal Milano Italy | 77–72 | Czechoslovakia Slavia VŠ Praha |
| 1965–66 FIBA European Champions Cup Champions |
|---|
| Italy Simmenthal Milano 1st Title |
Final standings
| Team | |
|---|---|
| File:Coppa del Campionato di Pallacanestro.png | Italy Simmenthal Milano |
| Silver | Czechoslovakia Slavia VŠ Praha |
| Bronze | Soviet Union CSKA Moscow |
| Greece AEK |
