SAMOKOV (Bulgaria) - From September 19-25, our eyes will be focused on Samokov, Bulgaria, where the Basketball Champions League Qualification Round Tournaments will take place.
Three tournaments will be played in single-game elimination formats, from the Quarter-Finals to the Final, and the three tournament winners will join the 29 teams already in the Regular Season.
Who is there?
UCAM Murcia didn't live up to the expectations in 2024-25, ending the season earlier than expected in the Round of 16. They want to improve this season, but first Sito Alonso's team have to go through the Samokov adventure.
In the Quarter-Finals, they will go up against PGE Start Lublin, runners-up in Poland.
Finland's Karhu Basket Kauhajoki will clash with Lithuania's BC Juventus Utena, while Falco Szombathely and FC Porto will square off in a highly anticipated challenge.
Fribourg Olympic and Elan Chalon complete the picture.
Have they played BCL before?
Except for Karhu Basket Kauhajoki and FC Porto, which never made it to the BCL Regular Season, the other six teams in this Qualification Round Tournament all have at least one appearance.
Falco Szombathely are the ones with the most participations, playing in the competition six times.
UCAM Murcia are the only ones capable of winning hardware, collecting bronze medals in 2017-18 and 2023-24.
Potential Cinderella story
Portugal basketball is rising high, but only one team from the country have managed to qualify to the BCL Regular Season on multiple occasions: SL Benfica, which will play in Season X as well.
Can FC Porto make history?
They are eager to compete with the national team's captain, Miguel Queiroz, former PAOK playmaker Jalen Riley, Javian Davis, Jhonathan Dunn, and the 2021 NBA Champion Axel Toupane.
One to watch
If Elan Chalon want to return to the BCL Regular Season for the first time since 2017-18, Jeremiah Hill has to take over like he has recently done at FIBA AfroBasket 2025 with Cameroon.
Coming off a stellar continental campaign, falling short only in the third-place game against Senegal, he put up 15.7 points, 5.0 assists, and 4.8 rebounds per game.
He's the leader you want to follow in such occasions.
When, where?
All games will be played in Samokov, Bulgaria, live on BCL's broadcast partners, and on YouTube (georestrictions may apply). You can find the full schedule here.
The winner of QRT3 will join ALBA BERLIN (GER), ERA Nymburk (CZE) and Sabah BC (AZE) in Group B of the Regular Season.