Total League

Total League
Upcoming season or competition: 2016–17 Total League season

Sport	Basketball
Founded	1933
No. of teams	10
Country	Luxembourg
Continent	Europe
Most recent champion(s)	Amicale (6th title)
Most titles	Nitia (16 titles)
Sponsor(s)	Total S.A.
Level on pyramid	1
Relegation to	Nationale 2
Official website	flbb.lu/totalleague

The Nationale 1, officially named the Total League for sponsorship reasons, is the highest basketball league in Luxembourg. The league's governing body is Fédération Luxembourgeoise de Basketball (FLBB).^[1] Prior to the 2012–13 season, the league was known as the Diekirch League.^[2]

About

As the league is semi-professional, all clubs are run as not-for-profit.^[3] Each team in the league is allowed to have two American players on the roster. While most local players do not receive a salary, American players are paid.^[4]^[5]

There are two player statuses: JICL (french acronym for "player registered with a Luxembourgian club") and non-JICL. To be classified as JICL, a player has to have obtained a license from a FLBB club before their 16th birthday, or have one for at least three seasons between their 16th and 21st birthday. Prior to the 2013–14 season, each team was only allowed two non-JICL players, no exceptions. In July 2013, the European Commission adjudged the ruling was contrary to the Schengen Agreement.^[6] Following that decision, the rule was scrapped and replaced by a gentlemen's agreement to keep the number at two, though some have signed a third non-JICL player, arguing they were part-time players.^[5]

Format

During the regular season, each team plays the other nine teams twice, one at home and one away (10 teams, 18 games, 18 rounds). After this, the top six teams move on to the second stage, where they play a further 10 games against each other. The top four teams at the conclusion of the second stage move on to the playoffs. In the semi-finals, the No. 1 seed plays the No. 4 seed, and the No. 2 seed plays the No. 3 seed. The winner of each best-of-three semi-final moves on to the Finals series to decide the title (also best-of-three).^[7]

Meanwhile, the bottom four teams after the regular season join the best four teams from the second-tier Nationale 2 to play for relegation and promotion respectively. The two worst ranked Total League teams are relegated whilst the two best Nationale 2 teams are promoted.

Current clubs

Current clubs
Club^{[lower-alpha 1]}	City	Arena	Founded	Last title	Web links
AB Contern	Contern	Hall sportif "Um Ewent"	1956	2009	Team	FLBB	FIBA
Amicale Steinsel	Steinsel	Hall omnisports “Alain Marchetti”	1947	2016	Team	FLBB	FIBA
AS Soleuvre	Soleuvre	Centre sportif "Roger Krier"	1937	2002	Team	FLBB	FIBA
Basket Esch	Esch-sur-Alzette	Hall omnisport Esch-sur-Alzette	1959	Never	Team		FLBB
Etzella Ettelbruck	Ettelbruck	Centre sportif du Deich	1934	2006	Team	FLBB	FIBA
Musel Pikes	Stadtbredimus	Sporthal Stadbriedemes	2000	Never	Team		FLBB
Résidence Walferdange	Walferdange	Centre Prince Henri	1965	1997	Team	FLBB	FIBA
Sparta Bertrange	Bertrange	Centre Atert	1935	2012	Team	FLBB	FIBA
T71 Dudelange	Dudelange	Salle Fos Grimler	1971	2015	Team	FLBB	FIBA
U.S. Hiefenech	Heffingen	Centre sportif Heffingen	1959	1996	Team	FLBB	FIBA

Former clubs
Club	City	Arena	Founded	Last season	Last title	Web links
Arantia Larochette	Larochette	Hall sportif Centre Filano	1964	2015	Never	Team		FLBB
Black Star Mersch	Mersch	Hall omnisports Mersch	1934	2015	1968	Team	FLBB	FIBA
Nitia Bettembourg	Bettembourg	Centre sportif Bettembourg	1932	2012	1953	Team		FLBB
Racing Luxembourg	Luxembourg	Centre sportif Tramsschapp	1950	2010	2000	Team	FLBB	FIBA
B.C. Mess	Mondercange	Complexe sportif Mondercange	1967	2007	Never	Team	FLBB	FIBA

Title holders

1933–34 Nitia
1934–35 Nitia
1935–36 Nitia
1936–37 Nitia
1937–38 Nitia
1938–39 Nitia
1939–40 Nitia
1940–44 Not held due to WWII
1944–45 Nitia
1945–46 Nitia
1946–47 Nitia
1947–48 Nitia
1948–49 Nitia
1949–50 Nitia
1950–51 Nitia
1951–52 Black Boys Kayl
1952–53 Nitia
1953–54 Nitia
1954–55 Etzella
1955–56 Etzella

1956–57 Etzella
1957–58 Sparta Bertrange
1958–59 Rou'de Le'w Kayl
1959–60 Sparta Bertrange
1960–61 Etzella
1961–62 Etzella
1962–63 Etzella
1963–64 Etzella
1964–65 Etzella
1965–66 Black Star Mersch
1966–67 Racing Luxembourg
1967–68 Black Star Mersch
1968–69 Sparta Bertrange
1969–70 Etzella
1970–71 Amicale
1971–72 Etzella
1972–73 Amicale
1973–74 Sparta Bertrange
1974–75 T71 Dudelange
1975–76 T71 Dudelange

1976–77 T71 Dudelange
1977–78 Amicale
1978–79 Sparta Bertrange
1979–80 Amicale
1980–81 Amicale
1981–82 T71 Dudelange
1982–83 T71 Dudelange
1983–84 T71 Dudelange
1984–85 T71 Dudelange
1985–86 Sparta Bertrange
1986–87 Sparta Bertrange
1987–88 Contern
1988–89 Hiefenech
1989–90 Hiefenech
1990–91 Hiefenech
1991–92 Etzella
1992–93 Résidence
1993–94 Résidence
1994–95 Résidence
1995–96 Hiefenech

1996–97 Résidence
1997–98 Racing Luxembourg
1998–99 Etzella
1999–00 Racing Luxembourg
2000–01 Contern
2001–02 Soleuvre
2002–03 Etzella
2003–04 Contern
2004–05 Sparta Bertrange
2005–06 Etzella
2006–07 Sparta Bertrange
2007–08 Sparta Bertrange
2008–09 Contern
2009–10 T71 Dudelange
2010–11 T71 Dudelange
2011–12 Sparta Bertrange
2012–13 T71 Dudelange
2013–14 T71 Dudelange
2014–15 T71 Dudelange
2015–16 Amicale

Performance by club

Titles	Club	Years
16	Nitia	1933-34, 1934-35, 1935-36, 1936-37, 1937-38, 1938-39, 1939-40, 1944-45, 1945-46, 1946-47, 1947-48, 1948-49, 1949-50, 1950-51, 1952-53, 1953-54
14	Etzella	1954-55, 1955-56, 1956-57, 1960-61, 1961-62, 1962-63, 1963-64, 1964-65, 1969-70, 1971-72, 1991-92, 1998-99, 2002-03, 2005-06
12	T71 Dudelange	1974-75, 1975-76, 1976-77, 1981-82, 1982-83, 1983-84, 1984-85, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15
11	Sparta Bertrange	1957-58, 1959-60, 1968-69, 1973-74, 1978-79, 1985-86, 1986-87, 2004-05, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2011-12
6	Amicale	1970-71, 1972-73, 1977-78, 1979-80, 1980-81, 2015-16
4	Contern	1987-88, 2000-01, 2003-04, 2008-09
	Hiefenech	1988-89, 1989-90, 1990-91, 1995-96
	Résidence	1992-93, 1993-94, 1994-95, 1996-97
3	Racing Luxembourg	1966-67, 1997-98, 1999-00
2	Black Star Mersch	1965-66, 1967-68
1	Black Boys Kayl	1951-52
	Rou'de Le'w Kayl	1958-59
	Soleuvre	2001-02

European competition

Luxembourgian clubs have not participated in European competition since 2002, the last year FIBA organised the FIBA Saporta Cup, with the FLBB bemoaning the separation between FIBA Europe and ULEB and the move away from a single-elimination format.^[1] Some of the requirements for participation in the FIBA-organised European third-tier EuroChallenge that restrict their participation are: a €5,000 registration fee notwithstanding other costs, an arena that seats at least 2000 without non-basketball lines, and games played on weekdays.^[8]

Highlights

Competition	Team	Opponent(s)	Round(s)	Home	Away	Aggregate
Champions Cup 1958	Etzella	Royal IV	Group stage	43 – 82^{[lower-alpha 2]}	36 - 63	79 - 145
Cup Winners Cup 1974	Sparta Bertrange	Paisley BC Steaua București	Second round^{[lower-alpha 3]} Round of 16	105 - 93 77 - 108	64 - 51 77 - 117	169 - 144 154 - 225
Champions Cup 1978	T71 Dudelange	Bayer 04 Leverkusen Real Madrid GC Figueirense	Group stage	78 – 85 63 - 94 96 - 87	71 - 97 60 - 118 65 - 69	3rd/4 teams
Champions Cup 1979	Amicale	Sporting Emerson Varese	Group stage	87 – 82 68 - 108	99 - 94 71 - 123	2nd/3 teams
Champions Cup 1991	Telekurs Hiefenech	BSG AdW Berlin FC Barcelona	First round Round of 16	98 - 84 73 - 113	92 - 96 77 - 117	190 - 180 150 - 230
Korać Cup 1994	Telekurs Hiefenech	Cardiff Bay Heat EnBW Ludwigsburg	First round Second round	78 - 72 80 - 86	89 - 79 69 - 105	167 - 151 149 - 191

Notes

↑ Official names in French as per linguistic rules.
↑ First European Champions Cup game ever played.
↑ First round bye.

References

External links

Luxembourg Basketball at eurobasket.com
Luxembourg Basketball news at basketnews.lu

International men's basketball

FIBA National teams Olympics World Cup Universiade U-21 World Championship U-19 World Championship U-17 World Championship World Rankings

Africa	FIBA Africa – AfroBasket U-18 U-16 African Games

Americas	FIBA Americas – FIBA Americas Championship U-18 U-16 CBC Championship Centrobasket COCABA Championship Marchand Cup Pan American Games South American Championship

Asia	FIBA Asia – FIBA Asia Cup U-18 U-16 Asian Games FIBA Asia Challenge MVP Cup Stanković Cup East Asian Games South Asian Games Southeast Asian Games West Asian Games William Jones Cup

Europe	FIBA Europe – EuroBasket U-20 U-18 U-16 Acropolis Tournament Adecco Cup Albert Schweitzer Tournament Belgrade Trophy TBF International Under-16 Tournament World Cup (Turkey)

Oceania	FIBA Oceania – FIBA Oceania Championship U-20 U-18 U-16 Pacific Games

Other tournaments	Commonwealth Games Diamond Ball FIBA World Olympic Qualifying Tournament Lusophony Games Mediterranean Games Pan Arab Games

Note: The Under-21 Championship is no longer held.

Men's professional basketball leagues

International
tournaments

Africa	African Champions Cup

Americas	Americas League Liga Sudamericana Torneo InterLigas

Asia	Asian Champions Cup ABA Club Championship ASEAN League WABA League

Europe	EuroLeague EuroCup Champions League FIBA Europe Cup Adriatic League Alpe Adria Cup Balkan League Baltic League VTB United League Next Generation Tournament

Defunct
tournaments

Americas	Campeonato Sudamericano de Clubes Argentina Brazil Chile United States ABA (original) CBA IBL USBL WBA

Asia	Japan bj league NBL NBDL JBL

Europe	SuproLeague Saporta Cup Korać Cup EuroCup Challenge EuroChallenge Central European League North European League Czechoslovakia England Russia Serbia and Montenegro Spain Soviet Union Yugoslavia 2nd division

Category

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