Partizan, Valencia basketball clubs back to Turkish Airlines EuroLeague

By Can Erozden

ANKARA (AA) - Serbian basketball club Partizan NIS Belgrade and Spain's Valencia Basket took a wild card each to participate in the 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, the organizers said in a statement on Thursday.

The two teams are among the 18 clubs for the upcoming season expected to start this autumn.

Partizan last played in the EuroLeague in the 2013-14 season, while Valencia Basket appeared in the 2020-21 campaign.

Meanwhile, Russian teams were barred from the EuroLeague for a season.

"Teams from the Russian Federation are suspended from participation in the 2022-23 competitions due to events derived from the ongoing war in Ukraine," the EuroLeague said.

- Partizan's Obradovic also returns to EuroLeague

Zeljko Obradovic, who currently coaches Partizan, is also back to familiar ground. The 62-year-old Serbian head coach won nine EuroLeague titles in his coaching career.

Obradovic was a Fenerbahce head coach from 2013 to 2020 and led the Istanbul club to their first-ever EuroLeague championship in 2017.

Before his Fenerbahce days, he was a longtime Panathinaikos head coach, guiding the Athens team to five EuroLeague titles in 2000, 2002, 2007, 2009, and 2011.

- Clubs participating in 2022-23 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague:

- ALBA Berlin (Germany)

- Anadolu Efes (Türkiye)

- AS Monaco (France)

- AX Armani Exchange Milan (Italy)

- Baskonia Vitoria Gasteiz (Spain)

- Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade (Serbia)

- FC Barcelona (Spain)

- FC Bayern Munich (Germany)

- Fenerbahce Beko (Türkiye)

- LDLC Asvel Villeurbanne (France)

- Maccabi Playtika Tel Aviv (Israel)

- Olympiacos (Greece)

- Panathinaikos OPAP (Greece)

- Partizan NIS Belgrade (Serbia)

- Real Madrid (Spain)

- Valencia Basket (Spain)

- Virtus Segafredo Bologna (Italy)

- Zalgiris Kaunas (Lithuania)