Bosna Sarajevo returns to Europe after nineteen years

El Bosna BH Telecom Sarajevo has been designated to take the vacancy left by AS Monaco in the EuroCup 2026-27. The European competition has resolved the withdrawal of the Monegasque team, declared ineligible for failing to meet the regulatory requirements of the competition. The return of the Bosnian club to the continental stage represents a historic milestone: nineteen years after its last appearance, it returns to compete at the highest European level with the status of national champion.

A European legacy of nearly half a century

El Bosna is not a newcomer that EuroCup grants an opportunity. Its European record speaks for itself. On April 5, 1979, in Grenoble, the Bosnian club proclaimed itself champion of the European Cup by defeating Varese 96-93 in the final. With that victory, it became the first team from the former Yugoslavia to conquer the continental trophy, an achievement that marked a before and after in the history of Balkan basketball.

That 1979 team featured internationally renowned figures. Mirza Delibasic, who would later play for Real Madrid and become one of the legends of Balkan basketball, was one of the pillars of success. Zarko Varajic, for his part, left an indelible mark in the final with 45 points, a record that still stands as the individual scoring record in a final of the top European competition. These names represent the quality and prestige that have characterized the club over the decades.

The longest game in history

El Bosna's last participation in the EuroCup, in December 2007, also left its mark in the historical records of the tournament. The match against ALBA Berlin became the longest game in the history of the competition: 141-127 after five overtimes. Kyle Hill played 53 minutes and 18 seconds in that basketball marathon, while five Bosnian players were over forty years old on the court. That team reached the playoffs, where it fell to Gran Canaria.

Since then, 6,791 days have passed. Almost twenty years during which El Bosna has remained away from continental competitions, although it has never ceased to be a reference in the basketball of its country. Now, with the status of national champion, it returns to show that its legacy remains relevant.

Group D and the Manresa challenge

The return will be immediate. On September 30, at the Lietkabelis court, El Bosna will begin its journey in EuroCup 2026-27. The Bosnian club will share Group D with a varied lineup of teams: Bahcesehir College Istanbul, Balkan Botevgrad, Baxi Manresa, Lietkabelis, PAOK, ratiopharm ulm, and Roma Basketball. A composition that includes opponents from different European leagues and basketball traditions.

That detail has direct relevance for Spanish basketball. Baxi Manresa, a team from Bages that has just started its preseason with a resounding victory of 113-91 against Cheshire Phoenix, will face El Bosna in the regular phase. This implies a trip to Sarajevo for the Catalans, where they will compete against a rival that, although currently of lesser sporting stature than the Monaco it replaces, has a pavilion and a fanbase that have historically exercised considerable weight in the European competition.

The context of Monaco's exclusion

It is important to understand where this vacant spot comes from. AS Monaco was a finalist in the EuroLeague in 2025, demonstrating its competitive capacity at the highest continental level. However, it has been excluded from professional French basketball due to economic problems stemming from the freezing of its owner's accounts. EuroCup has limited itself to applying its eligibility regulations, but the result is eloquent: a club that just two seasons ago was fighting to be the champion of Europe cedes its place to another that won the trophy almost half a century ago and had been absent from the continental stage for two decades.

This change underscores the realities of current professional sports. While Monaco has suffered an economic collapse that has distanced it from competition, El Bosna returns with the legitimacy of being the champion of its national league. This is not a charitable concession but the application of the criteria established by the competition. The Bosnian club has earned its place in EuroCup through sporting performance, reaffirming its status as a basketball power in its regional context.

El Bosna's return represents more than just participation in a European tournament. It signifies the return of a historic institution to a stage where it left its mark decades ago. With its accumulated experience, its winning tradition, and the motivation that comes from re-encountering continental competition after nearly twenty years of absence, the Bosnian team arrives at EuroCup 2026-27 with clear aspirations. European basketball will once again feature a player that knows the dynamics of the tournament well and has the necessary history to compete with guarantees.

This is an automatic translation. You can read the original news, El Bosna Sarajevo vuelve a Europa tras diecinueve años