# 1995–96 FIBA European League

The 1995–96 FIBA European League, also shortened to 1995–96 FIBA EuroLeague, was the 39th installment of the European top-tier level professional club competition for basketball clubs (now called EuroLeague). It began on September 7, 1995, and ended on April 11, 1996. Panathinaikos B.C. became the first Greek team to lift the FIBA European League championship after beating FC Barcelona Banca Catalana by one point in the final match of the competition's Final Four, which was held at Paris.
The 1995–96 season saw the return of 1991-92 European League champion Partizan on the international scene, after three years ban of Yugoslav clubs due to UN embargo. However, Partizan was eliminated in the qualiying rounds.
It was the last season of the competition that took place under the name of FIBA European League, as the competition was renamed to FIBA EuroLeague, starting with the next season.

## Competition system

* 42 teams (the cup title holder, national domestic league champions, and a variable number of other clubs from the most important national domestic leagues) played knock-out rounds on a home and away basis. The aggregate score of both games decided the winner.
* The sixteen remaining teams after the knock-out rounds entered the Regular Season Group Stage, divided into two groups of eight teams, playing a round-robin. The final standing was based on individual wins and defeats. In the case of a tie between two or more teams after the group stage, the following criteria were used to decide the final classification: 1) number of wins in one-to-one games between the teams; 2) basket average between the teams; 3) general basket average within the group.
* The top four teams from each group after the Regular Season Group Stage qualified for a quarterfinal playoff (X-pairings, best of 3 games).
* The four winners of the quarterfinal playoff qualified for the final stage (Final Four), which was played at a predetermined venue.

## Country ranking

For the 1995–1996 FIBA European League, the countries are allocated places according to their place on the FIBA country rankings, which takes into account their performance in European competitions from 1992–93 to 1994–95.
| Rank | Country | 1992-93 | 1993-94 | 1994-95 | Average |
| 1 | Spain | 212 | 340 | 300 | 284,00 |
| 2 | Greece | 253 | 322 | 249,375 | 274,79 |
| 3 | Italy | 363 | 173 | 260 | 265,33 |
| 4 | France | 219 | 123 | 179 | 173,67 |
| 5 | Croatia | 62,86 | 70 | 68 | 66,95 |
| 6 | Turkey | 58,33 | 73 | 69 | 66,78 |
| 7 | Germany | 37 | 45 | 103 | 61,67 |
| 8 | Israel | 66 | 48 | 61 | 58,33 |
| 9 | Slovenia | 24 | 72,5 | 27,5 | 41,33 |
| 10 | Belgium | 51 | 37 | 24 | 37,33 |
| 11 | Russia | 12 | 10 | 59 | 27,00 |
| 12 | Portugal | 9 | 21 | 25,83 | 18,61 |
| 13 | Ukraine | 15,33 | 13 | 27 | 18,44 |
| 14 | Czech Republic | 13 | 13 | 11 | 12,33 |
| 15 | Hungary | 5,33 | 7,5 | 18 | 10,28 |
| 16 | Poland | 4,5 | 4 | 18,33 | 8,94 |
| 17 | Macedonia | 0 | 20 | 6 | 8,67 |
| 18 | Switzerland | 6 | 9 | 8,5 | 7,83 |
| 19 | Slovakia | 0 | 10 | 8,33 | 6,11 |
| 20 | Romania | 11 | 2 | 4,67 | 5,89 |
| 21 | Lithuania | 3 | 2 | 12 | 5,67 |
| 22 | Latvia | 6 | 2 | 9 | 5,67 |
| Rank | Country | 1992-93 | 1993-94 | 1994-95 | Average |
| 23 | Bulgaria | 7,5 | 5,67 | 1,33 | 4,83 |
| 24 | Cyprus | 5,33 | 5,33 | 3 | 4,55 |
| 25 | Austria | 1 | 6 | 4,67 | 3,89 |
| 26 | Luxembourg | 4 | 2 | 2 | 2,67 |
| 27 | Sweden | 0,37 | 1 | 6 | 2,46 |
| 28 | Finland | 3,5 | 1,67 | 2 | 2,39 |
| 29 | England | 0,67 | 4,17 | 2 | 2,28 |
| 30 | Netherlands | 1,67 | 2,33 | 2,5 | 2,17 |
| 31 | Georgia | 2 | 0 | 3,33 | 1,78 |
| 32 | Albania | 1 | 0,67 | 2 | 1,22 |
| 33 | Iceland | 0,33 | 2,5 | 0,2 | 1,01 |
| 34 | Estonia | 1 | 0,33 | 1,67 | 1,00 |
| 35 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0,67 |
| 36 | Belarus | 0,4 | 0,5 | 0 | 0,30 |
| 37 | Armenia | 0,4 | 0 | 0 | 0,13 |
| 38 | Moldova | 0 | 0,2 | 0,2 | 0,13 |
| 39 | Denmark | 0 | 0 | 0,2 | 0,07 |
| 40 | Ireland | 0 | 0,2 | 0 | 0,07 |
| 41 | Wales | 0 | 0,2 | 0 | 0,07 |
| 42 | Malta | 0,2 | 0 | 0 | 0,07 |
| 43 | Yugoslavia (banned) | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |

## Team allocation

The labels in the parentheses show how each team qualified for the place of its starting round:
* TH: Title holder.
* 1st, 2nd, 3rd, etc.: League position after Playoffs.
Group stage :
| FCB Banca Catalana (1st) | Olympiacos (1st) | Olympique Antibes (1st) | |
| Second round ||||
| Unicaja (2nd) | Buckler Beer Bologna (1st) | Bayer 04 Leverkusen (1st) | Benfica (1st) |
| Real Madrid Teka (3rd)$^{TH}$ | Benetton Treviso (2nd) | Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv (1st) | |
| Panathinaikos (2nd) | Cibona (1st) | Smelt Olimpija (1st) | |
| Iraklis Aspis Pronoia (3rd) | Ülker Genclik (1st) | CSKA Moscow (1st) | |
| First round ||||
| Pau-Orthez (2nd) | Mazowzanka (1st) | APOEL (1st) | Vita Tbilisi (1st) |
| Zrinjevac (2nd) | Rabotnički (1st) | UKJ SUBA Sankt Pölten (1st) | Dinamo Tirana (1st) |
| Hapoel Galil Elyon (2nd) | Fidefinanz Bellinzona (1st) | Résidence (1st) | Kalev Tallinn (1st) |
| Sunair Oostende (1st) | Baník Cígeľ Prievidza (1st) | Alvik (1st) | Zenica Metalno (1st) |
| Budivelnyk (1st) | CSU Forest Sibiu (1st) | Kouvot (1st) | Partizan Inex (1st) |
| Stavex Brno (1st) | Žalgiris (1st) | Sheffield Sharks (1st) | |
| Danone-Honvéd (1st) | Plama Pleven (1st) | Rene Coltof Den Helder (1st) | |

## First round

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Vita Tbilisi | 139–178 | Žalgiris | 70–78 | 69–100 |
| Stavex Brno | 175–186 | Fidefinanz Bellinzona | 106–93 | 69–93 |
| Kalev | 174–138 | Danone-Honvéd | 78–57 | 96–81 |
| Dinamo Tirana | 130–156 | Forest Sibiu | 63–87 | 67–69 |
| SUBA Sankt Pölten | 131–153 | APOEL | 60–67 | 71–86 |
| Zenica Metalno | 136–142 | Baník Cígeľ Prievidza | 68–71 | 68–71 |
| Sunair Oostende | 156–125 | Alvik | 79–61 | 77–64 |
| Résidence | 161–184 | Sheffield Sharks | 79–99 | 82–85 |
| Kouvot | 173–185 | Hapoel Galil Elyon | 92–82 | 81–103 |
| Rabotnički | 134–147 | Budivelnyk | 65–64 | 69–83 |
| Mazowzanka | 147–167 | Zrinjevac | 79–74 | 68–93 |
| Plama Pleven | 178–185 | Partizan Inex | 83–93 | 95–92 |
| Rene Coltof Den Helder | 139–182 | Pau-Orthez | 72–94 | 57–88 |

## Second round

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg |
| Žalgiris | 122–145 | Panathinaikos | 56–59 | 66–86 |
| Fidefinanz Bellinzona | 162–223 | CSKA Moscow | 88–107 | 74–116 |
| Kalev | 148–172 | Buckler Beer Bologna | 65–81 | 83–91 |
| Forest Sibiu | 139–221 | Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv | 74–99 | 65–122 |
| APOEL | 116–139 | Cibona | 70–82 | 46–57 |
| Baník Cígeľ Prievidza | 162–184 | Benetton Treviso | 87–91 | 75–93 |
| Sunair Oostende | 149–155 | Ülker | 74–69 | 75–86 |
| Sheffield Sharks | 132–145 | Real Madrid Teka | 57–67 | 75–78 |
| Hapoel Galil Elyon | 137–176 | Iraklis Aspis Pronoia | 83–91 | 54–76 |
| Budivelnyk | 161–179 | Bayer 04 Leverkusen | 98–77 | 63–102 |
| Zrinjevac | 136–165 | Unicaja | 70–85 | 66–80 |
| Partizan Inex | 159–176 | Benfica | 64–64 | 95–112 |
| Pau-Orthez | 193–146 | Smelt Olimpija | 96–71 | 97–75 |

## Group stage

If one or more clubs are level on won-lost record, tiebreakers are applied in the following order:
* Head-to-head record in matches between the tied clubs
* Overall point difference in games between the tied clubs
* Overall point difference in all group matches (first tiebreaker if tied clubs are not in the same group)
* Points scored in all group matches
* Sum of quotients of points scored and points allowed in each group match
Key to colors :
* Qualified to Playoff
* Eliminated
| Group A TeamPldPtsWLPFPAPD 1. CSKA Moscow 142410411621081+81 2. Benetton Treviso 142410411571096+61 3. Olympiacos 142410411321046+86 4. Ülker 14206810781104+26 5. Unicaja 14206811041081+23 6. Olympique Antibes 14206811081169-61 7. Bayer 04 Leverkusen 14195910671112-45 8. Iraklis Aspis Pronoia 14173119451064-119 | Group B TeamPldPtsWLPFPAPD 1. FC Barcelona Banca Catalana 142410411451077+68 2. Real Madrid Teka 14239511081079+29 3. Panathinaikos 14239510351007+28 4. Pau-Orthez 14228611271092+35 5. Buckler Beer Bologna 14206811811149+32 6. Maccabi Elite Tel Aviv 14206811051143-38 7. Cibona 14206810111052-41 8. Benfica 141621210461159-113 |

## Quarterfinals

| Team 1 | Agg.Tooltip Aggregate score | Team 2 | 1st leg | 2nd leg | 3rd leg |
| Pau-Orthez | 1–2 | CSKA Moscow | 78–65 | 89–104 | 74–83 |
| Panathinaikos | 2–1 | Benetton Treviso | 70–67 | 69–83 | 65–64 |
| Ülker | 0–2 | FC Barcelona Banca Catalana | 77–105 | 66–96 | |
| Olympiacos | 1–2 | Real Madrid Teka | 68–49 | 77–80 | 65–80 |

## Final four
### Semifinals

April 9, Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| CSKA Moscow | 71–81 | Panathinaikos |
| FC Barcelona Banca Catalana | 76–66 | Real Madrid Teka |

### 3rd place game

April 11, Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| CSKA Moscow | 74–73 | Real Madrid Teka |

### Final

April 11, Palais Omnisports de Paris-Bercy, Paris
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| Panathinaikos | 67–66 | FC Barcelona Banca Catalana |
* 1995–96 FIBA European League Champions
* Panathinaikos 1st Title

### Final standings

* Team
* Panathinaikos
* FC Barcelona Banca Catalana
* CSKA Moscow
* Real Madrid Teka

## Awards
### FIBA European League Top Scorer

* Joe Arlauckas ( Real Madrid Teka)

### FIBA European League Final Four MVP

* Dominique Wilkins ( Panathinaikos)

### FIBA European League Finals Top Scorer

* Artūras Karnišovas ( FC Barcelona Banca Catalana)

### FIBA European League All-Final Four Team

FIBA European League All-Final Four Team :
| Player | Team |
| Vasily Karasev | CSKA Moscow |
| Fragiskos Alvertis | Panathinaikos |
| Artūras Karnišovas | FC Barcelona Banca Catalana |
| Dominique Wilkins (MVP) | Panathinaikos |
| Stojko Vranković | Panathinaikos |