BOSNA BH Telecom Sarajevo will replace AS Monaco in Group D of the 2026-27 BKT EuroCup after Monaco failed to meet competition requirements. This marks the reigning Bosnian champions’ return to the EuroCup for the first time since the 2007-08 season.
Euroleague Basketball has announced that BOSNA BH Telecom Sarajevo will replace AS Monaco in Group D of the 2026-27 BKT EuroCup.
Why Monaco were removed from the EuroCup
The decision follows AS Monaco’s ineligibility to participate in the competition after the club failed to fulfill the requirements set out in the official BKT EuroCup By-Laws.
BOSNA BH Telecom Sarajevo will participate in the 2026-27 BKT EuroCup season with a one-season participation spot, joining Group D alongside Bahcesehir College Istanbul, Balkan Botevgrad, Kids&Us Manresa, Lietkabelis Panevezys, PAOK Thessaloniki, ratiopharm ulm and Roma Basketball.
The Bosnian club returns to the EuroCup for the first time since its only previous appearance, in the 2007-08 season.
During that campaign, BOSNA played in the longest game in EuroCup history, falling to ALBA Berlin 141-127 after five overtimes on December 4, 2007.
Five BOSNA players logged more than 40 minutes, led by Kyle Hill, who played 53 minutes and 18 seconds. Despite the loss, BOSNA advanced to the knockout rounds before being eliminated by Gran Canaria in the Last 32.
Monaco excluded from French basketball competitions
The French Basketball Federation (FFBB) declined an urgent review of AS Monaco‘s situation.
Therefore, the reigning French titleholders have been banned from professional competition and face competing in the third tier (Nationale 1) at best for the upcoming campaign.
Although there were signs of stabilizing finances and the potential arrival of new sponsors to offer the Roca Team a substantial economic lifeline, the turnaround has arrived too late.
Credit ZUMAPRESS.com – Scanpix
Monaco’s attempt to play in ABA League
Following their exclusion from the French League, AS Monaco are reportedly looking to enter another European league ahead of next season.
According to Sport Klub, Monaco officials have contacted the ABA League and expressed interest in joining the competition for the upcoming season.
Although Monaco understand that it is late to join the league, they are willing to pay half a million euros to be accepted, per Sport Klub sources.
While the chances of them joining the ABA League remain slim, a slight possibility reportedly still exists.
The ABA League assembly is set to meet on September 4 to discuss the matter.
What does the future hold for Monaco?
AS Monaco’s amateur branch, which counts 455 registered members, is seeking to manage the team’s participation in NM1.
Under this plan, contracted youth prospects from the club’s academy could help spearhead the rebuilding effort in the third tier, alongside the two foreign players authorized by FFBB rules.
A series of discussions is planned for next week to rescue whatever remains of the program.
Nonetheless, it marks a devastating fall from grace for a club that reached the EuroLeague final last year.
BOSNA Sarajevo history and titles
BOSNA enters the EuroCup as the reigning champion of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The club won its fifth national league title last season, adding to a rich history that includes three Yugoslav Championships in 1978, 1980 and 1983.
The club’s greatest achievement came on April 5, 1979, when BOSNA defeated Pallacanestro Varese 96-93 in the European Champions Cup final in Grenoble, France.
Led by the late Mirza Delibasic and Zarko Varajic, BOSNA became the first club from the former Yugoslavia to win Europe’s premier club competition. Varajic’s 45 points in the final remain a record for a championship game in Europe’s top-tier club competition.
BOSNA will mark its EuroCup return with a road game against Lietkabelis on September 30, ending a wait of 6,791 days since its last appearance in the competition.
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