German Federation Furious Over Organization of a 5th European Cup
The European North Basketball League (ENBL), established in 2021, is a private, invitation-only competition for clubs from Northern and Eastern Europe unable to participate in the four major continental tournaments. Similar to the Euroleague and Eurocup, it operates independently.
The upcoming 2026 ENBL final is scheduled to take place in Weißenfels, Saxony-Anhalt, with German club Syntainics MBC representing the nation. This event has sparked controversy, with the General Secretary of the German Basketball Federation (DBB) issuing a critical statement:
"The so-called ENBL is a league without any legitimacy from FIBA Europe and without any relevance, at best a fifth-tier competition."
Syntainics MBC is hosting the tournament at their own expense, aiming to secure their second European title after their 2004 Eurocup Challenge victory. MBC's General Manager, Martin Geissler, reacted with surprise to the DBB's stance:
"There has been absolutely no contact with the DBB regarding this matter. I find this kind of communication with a BBL club disconcerting, especially since our contact details should already be known to them. The successes of MBC are being belittled. I would be delighted to invite the DBB to come and see the level of play for themselves."
In the semi-finals, MBC will face British club Manchester Basketball on April 22nd. The other semi-final will pit Dziki Warszawa (Poland) against the winner of the match between CSO Voluntari (Romania) and Riga Zelli (Latvia). The final is scheduled for April 23rd.
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