Total League

Total League

Current season, competition or edition: 2014-15
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Formerly	Diekirch League
Sport	Basketball
Founded	1934
No. of teams	10
Country	Luxembourg
Continent	Europe
Most recent champion(s)	T71 Dudelange (2015)
Most titles	Nitia Bettembourg (16 titles)
Sponsor(s)	Total S.A.
Level on pyramid	1
Relegation to	Nationale 2
Official website	flbb.lu/totalleague

The Division Nationale 1 of the Luxembourg basketball championship, officially named the Total League for sponsorship reasons is the highest basketball league in Luxembourg.

History

The league is organised by the Luxembourgian Basketball Federation (FLBB). The FLBB signed a 3 year naming deal with French oil and gas company Total in June 2012 that will also see Total engage in promotional activities for the league, it succeeds the outgoing sponsorship of the league by the Diekirch alcohol brand.

The league is semi-professional, while most local players do not receive a salary, foreign players, the immense majority Americans, are usually paid. Furthermore all clubs have to be not for profit as per the league statutes.

There are two player statuses, JICL (french acronym for “player registered with a Luxembourgian club”) and non-JICL, the first has to have obtained a license from a FLBB club before their 16th birthday, have one for at least three seasons between their 16th and 21st birthday or have been “assimilated” over time (before 2012).

The non-JICL's were officially restricted to 2 per team until a July 2013 decision by the European Commission adjudged it was contrary to the Schengen Agreement. Following that decision, the rule was scrapped but replaced by a gentlemen's agreement to keep the number at 2, though some have signed a third non-JICL player, arguing they were part-time players.

Format

After the qualification where all teams play each other twice each at home and way, the points accrued are divided by two and the next phase starts. The first six ranked teams play for the title, with semi-finals for the best four teams of that phase (best of three games), followed by a final to decide the title (also best of three).

Meanwhile the other four teams join the best four teams from the second tier Nationale 2 (whose points are also divided by two) to play for relegation and promotion respectively, the two worst ranked Total League teams are relegated whilst the two best Nationale 2 teams are promoted.

The team's arenas have to hold at least 150 spectators, from the start of the playoff semi-finals the minimum is raised to 300.

Title holders

• 1933-34 Nitia Bettembourg
• 1934-35 Nitia Bettembourg
• 1935-36 Nitia Bettembourg
• 1936-37 Nitia Bettembourg
• 1937-38 Nitia Bettembourg
• 1938-39 Nitia Bettembourg
• 1939-40 Nitia Bettembourg
• 1940-44 Not held due to WWII
• 1944-45 Nitia Bettembourg
• 1945-46 Nitia Bettembourg
• 1946-47 Nitia Bettembourg
• 1947-48 Nitia Bettembourg
• 1948-49 Nitia Bettembourg
• 1949-50 Nitia Bettembourg
• 1950-51 Nitia Bettembourg
• 1951-52 Black Boys Kayl
• 1952-53 Nitia Bettembourg
• 1953-54 Nitia Bettembourg
• 1954-55 20px Etzella Ettelbruck
• 1955-56 20px Etzella Ettelbruck

• 1956-57 20px Etzella Ettelbruck
• 1957-58 20px Sparta Bertrange
• 1958-59 Rou'de Le'w Kayl
• 1959-60 20px Sparta Bertrange
• 1960-61 20px Etzella Ettelbruck
• 1961-62 20px Etzella Ettelbruck
• 1962-63 20px Etzella Ettelbruck
• 1963-64 20px Etzella Ettelbruck
• 1964-65 20px Etzella Ettelbruck
• 1965-66 Black Star Mersch
• 1966-67 Racing Luxembourg
• 1967-68 Black Star Mersch
• 1968-69 20px Sparta Bertrange
• 1969-70 20px Etzella Ettelbruck
• 1970-71 Amicale
• 1971-72 20px Etzella Ettelbruck
• 1972-73 Amicale
• 1973-74 20px Sparta Bertrange
• 1974-75 20px T71 Dudelange
• 1975-76 20px T71 Dudelange

• 1976-77 20px T71 Dudelange
• 1977-78 Amicale
• 1978-79 20px Sparta Bertrange
• 1979-80 Amicale
• 1980-81 Amicale
• 1981-82 20px T71 Dudelange
• 1982-83 20px T71 Dudelange
• 1983-84 20px T71 Dudelange
• 1984-85 20px T71 Dudelange
• 1985-86 20px Sparta Bertrange
• 1986-87 20px Sparta Bertrange
• 1987-88 20px Contern
• 1988-89 Hiefenech
• 1989-90 Hiefenech
• 1990-91 Hiefenech
• 1991-92 20px Etzella Ettelbruck
• 1992-93 20px Résidence
• 1993-94 20px Résidence
• 1994-95 20px Résidence
• 1995-96 Hiefenech

• 1996-97 20px Résidence
• 1997-98 Racing Luxembourg
• 1998-99 20px Etzella Ettelbruck
• 1999-00 Racing Luxembourg
• 2000-01 20px Contern
• 2001-02 Soleuvre
• 2002-03 20px Etzella Ettelbruck
• 2003-04 20px Contern
• 2004-05 20px Sparta Bertrange
• 2005-06 20px Etzella Ettelbruck
• 2006-07 20px Sparta Bertrange
• 2007-08 20px Sparta Bertrange
• 2008-09 20px Contern
• 2009-10 20px T71 Dudelange
• 2010-11 20px T71 Dudelange
• 2011-12 20px Sparta Bertrange
• 2012-13 20px T71 Dudelange
• 2013-14 20px T71 Dudelange
• 2014-15 20px T71 Dudelange

Performance by club

Titles	Club	Years
16	Nitia Bettembourg	1933-34, 1934-35, 1935-36, 1936-37, 1937-38, 1938-39, 1939-40, 1944-45, 1945-46, 1946-47, 1947-48, 1948-49, 1949-50, 1950-51, 1952-53, 1953-54
14	20px Etzella Ettelbruck	1954-55, 1955-56, 1956-57, 1960-61, 1961-62, 1962-63, 1963-64, 1964-65, 1969-70, 1971-72, 1991-92, 1998-99, 2002-03, 2005-06
12	20px T71 Dudelange	1974-75, 1975-76, 1976-77, 1981-82, 1982-83, 1983-84, 1984-85, 2009-10, 2010-11, 2012-13, 2013-14, 2014-15
11	20px Sparta Bertrange	1957-58, 1959-60, 1968-69, 1973-74, 1978-79, 1985-86, 1986-87, 2004-05, 2006-07, 2007-08, 2011-12
5	Amicale	1970-71, 1972-73, 1977-78, 1979-80, 1980-81
4	20px Contern	1987-88, 2000-01, 2003-04, 2008-09
	Hiefenech	1988-89, 1989-90, 1990-91, 1995-96
	20px Résidence	1992-93, 1993-94, 1994-95, 1996-97
3	Racing Luxembourg	1966-67, 1997-98, 1999-00
2	Black Star Mersch	1965-66, 1967-68
1	Black Boys Kayl	1951-52
	Rou'de Le'w Kayl	1958-59
	Soleuvre	2001-02

European competition

Luxembourgian clubs have not participated in European competition since 2002, the last year FIBA organised the FIBA Saporta Cup, with the FLBB bemoaning the separation between FIBA Europe and ULEB and the move away from a single-elimination format. Some of the requirements for participation in the FIBA organised European third tier EuroChallenge, such as a €5,000 registration fee notwithstanding other costs, an arena that seats at least 2000 without non-basketball lines and games played on weekdays, are thought to restrict their participation.

Highlights

Competition	Team	Opponent(s)	Round(s)	Home	Away	Aggregate
Champions Cup 1958	Etzella Ettelbruck	Royal Anderlecht	Group stage	43 – 82	36 - 63	79 - 145
Cup Winners Cup 1974	Sparta Bertrange	Paisley BC Steaua București	Second round Round of 16	105 - 93 77 - 108	64 - 51 77 - 117	169 - 144 154 - 225
Champions Cup 1978	T71 Dudelange	Bayer 04 Leverkusen Real Madrid GC Figueirense	Group stage	78 – 85 63 - 94 96 - 87	71 - 97 60 - 118 65 - 69	3rd/4 teams
Champions Cup 1979	Amicale Steinsel	Sporting Clube Emerson Varese	Group stage	87 – 82 68 - 108	99 - 94 71 - 123	2nd/3 teams
Champions Cup 1991	U.S. Hiefenech (Telekurs)	BSG AdW Berlin FC Barcelona	First round Round of 16	98 - 84 73 - 113	92 - 96 77 - 117	190 - 180 150 - 230
Korać Cup 1994	U.S. Hiefenech (Telekurs)	Cardiff Bay Heat EnBW Ludwigsburg	First round Second round	78 - 72 80 - 86	89 - 79 69 - 105	167 - 151 149 - 191

External links

• "Total League at.", Eurobasket.com. Retrieved on 29 May 2015.
• "Basketnews.lu", Website providing news on the Total League. Retrieved on 29 May 2015.