Balkan International Basketball League

The Balkan International Basketball League (BIBL), also known as the Balkan League, is a multinational professional basketball league that features pro clubs from the Balkans. The league includes teams from the countries of Bulgaria, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Kosovo, Albania, and Israel. The most recent league champion is Hapoel Holon from Israel.

Balkan International Basketball League
Current season, competition or edition:
2021–22 BIBL season
BIBL
SportBasketball
Founded2008
No. of teamsVariable
Countries Albania
 Bulgaria
 North Macedonia
 Montenegro
 Israel
 Kosovo
 Romania
 Kazakhstan
ContinentFIBA Europe (Europe)
Most recent
champion(s)		 Hapoel Galil Elyon (1st title)
Most titles Levski Sofia (3 titles)
TV partner(s)sportmedia.tv, YouTube
Official websitebalkanleague.net

Purpose

The purpose of the Balkan International Basketball League is to provide competitive international play for clubs in the Balkans that would otherwise be unable to participate in international basketball. The league achieves this by providing financial support to all participating clubs in order to ease the costs that make international play difficult.[1] Among other milestones, the league is also the first international league of its kind to include teams from Kosovo.

Format

As of the 2017-2018 season, the Balkan International Basketball League has introduced a new, simplified competition format. As per the new format, the competition will involve 8 teams playing each other in a double round robin (home and away) for a total of around 14 games. The changes to the league format include a new playoff format. The first and second place teams automatically qualify for playoffs, while teams placed 3rd to 6th will play each other home and away to make it to the final four (3 vs. 6, 4 vs. 5). Winning teams will advance to the finals to play for the championship.[2]

At the start of the 2020-2021 season, 12 teams from Israel joined the league in order to participate in competitive league play during the COVID-19 era.[3]

Championships
SeasonHostChampionResultRunner-upArena
2008–09 Samokov Rilski Sportist84–77 Feršped RabotničkiArena Samokov
2009–10 Sofia Levski Sofia77–65 LovćenUniversiada Hall
2010–11 Kavadarci Feni Industries88–75 Rilski SportistJasmin Sports Hall
2011–12 Gan Ner Hapoel Gilboa Galil89–84 Levski SofiaGan Ner Sports Hall
2012–13 Samokov Hapoel Gilboa Galil87–79 Levski SofiaArena Samokov
2013–14 Pristina Levski Sofia75–69 Hapoel Gilboa GalilPallati i Rinisë dhe Sporteve
2014–15 Pristina
Samokov		 Sigal Prishtina74−72
80–71		 Rilski SportistPallati i Rinisë dhe Sporteve
Arena Samokov
2015–16 Pristina
Bar		 Sigal Prishtina82−68
68−75		 MornarPallati i Rinisë dhe Sporteve
Sportska dvorana Topolica
2016–17 Stara Zagora
Kumanovo		 Beroe84−55
77−73		 KumanovoObshtinska zala
Sports Hall Kumanovo
2017–18 Samokov Levski Sofia83−72 BashkimiArena Samokov
2018–19 Tirana Blokotehna82–68 TeutaFeti Borova Sport Hall
2019–20 Cancelled due to COVID-19 pandemic
2020–21 Holon Hapoel Holon91–75 Academic PlovdivHolon Toto Hall
2020–21 Nahariya Hapoel Galil Elyon86–70 Maccabi HaifaEin Sara Sport Hall

Titles by club
ClubChampionshipsRunner-upsChampionship years
1 Levski Sofia32 2009–10, 2013–14, 2017–18
2 Hapoel Gilboa Galil21 2011–12, 2012–13
3 Sigal Prishtina2— 2014–15, 2015–16
4 Rilski Sportist122008–09
5 Feni Industries1— 2010–11
Beroe2016–17
Blokotehna2018–19
Hapoel Holon2020–21
Hapoel Galil Elyon2021–22
10 Feršped Rabotnički—1
Lovćen
Mornar
Kumanovo
Bashkimi
Teuta
Academic Plovdiv
Maccabi Haifa

Titles by country
CountryChampionshipsRunner-upsChampionship years
1  Bulgaria55 2008–09, 2009–10, 2013–14, 2016–17, 2017–18
2  Israel422011–12, 2012–13, 2020–21, 2021–22
3  North Macedonia222011–12, 2018–19
4  Kosovo212014–15, 2015–16
5  Montenegro—2
6  Albania—1

Current clubs (2021–22 season)
Team City Arena Country
Academic Plovdiv Plovdiv Kolodruma  Bulgaria
Balkan Botevgrad Botevgrad Arena Botevgrad  Bulgaria
Beroe Stara Zagora Obshtinska  Bulgaria
Levski Sofia Sofia Universiada Hall  Bulgaria
Hapoel Galil Elyon Kfar Blum Heihal HaPais  Israel
Hapoel Holon Holon Holon Toto Hall  Israel
Ironi Nahariya Nahariya Ein Sara  Israel
Sigal Prishtina Prishtina Palace of Youth and Sports  Kosovo
Ibar Rožaje Rožaje Large hall of SC Rožaje  Montenegro
Kumanovo 2009 Kumanovo Sports Hall Kumanovo  North Macedonia
Navico Akademija FMP Skopje Nezavisna Makedonija  North Macedonia
TFT Skopje SRC Kale  North Macedonia

References
  1. http://www.balkanleague.net/en/news.php?id=19083
  2. http://www.balkanleague.net/en/news.php?id=19089
  3. https://www.eurohoops.net/en/others/1108512/12-israeli-teams-enroll-in-the-balkan-league/
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