Qualification for EC 09 in Poland

[Buducnost PG]

I know the most of teams that will play the qualification, but i am not sure about how many will play and will France play too as 8th from the EC 07.

Serbia
Turkey
Italy
Israel
Bulgaria
Bosnia
Belgium
Greatbritain
Finland
Portugal
Hungary
Sweden
Macedonia
Estonia
Latvia
Chezch Republic
Ukraine

That are 17 Teams in the last year it were 16 teams.

[woma]

It's maybe the right place to mention that in return game between Finland and Romania for last spot in Division A, Finland won 111:61, leading by 63 points after 28 minutes. Crazy stuff, especially with Romania having 7 points lead after game first. But Finland with players like Rannikko, Kopponen, Mottola, Nikkila and some other less known games plus Henrik Dettmann as a coach, clearly looks like a decent team.

[Hakkapeliitta]

I believe Sweden dropped to B-league.

Finnish basketball association has a nice photo series from the decisive Finland-Romania game, "On the way towards the dreams":

http://www.koris.net/maajoukkueet/kohti_unelmia/

So you can get to know Finnish players . Notice that almost all pictures of Möttölä puts him on the bench. He just came back from surgery, nevertheless gave nice 10 minutes on the court. Rannikko was as important as ever, but the overall result was a result of team work and some further players showing their skills 100 %:ly.

[Buducnost PG]

I believe Sweden dropped to B-league.

Finnish basketball association has a nice photo series from the decisive Finland-Romania game, "On the way towards the dreams":

http://www.koris.net/maajoukkueet/kohti_unelmia/

So you can get to know Finnish players . Notice that almost all pictures of Möttölä puts him on the bench. He just came back from surgery, nevertheless gave nice 10 minutes on the court. Rannikko was as important as ever, but the overall result was a result of team work and some further players showing their skills 100 %:ly.

It was Danmark who dropped into B-League.

[woma]

It was Danmark who dropped into B-League.

I think it was Denmark AND Sweden going down, I just don't know who advanced along with Finland.

[Joško Poljak Fan]

I think it was Denmark AND Sweden going down, I just don't know who advanced along with Finland.

UK

[zik013]

is it known when qualification matches start ??

[Picek]

is it known when qualification matches start ??

next year as always..
in september probably..

[Trifilli]

According to the german bball federation (link to the article: click) , the best 7 EC 2007 teams are qualified for the EC 2009: Russia, Spain, Lithuania, Greece, Germany, Croatia and Slovenia. All other teams (including France) will have to play the qualifiers.

[rikhardur]

According to articles 30 and 31 of the FIBA Europe regulations eight men's teams qualify directly for EuroBasket 2009, in Poland, 7-20 September 2009: European champions Russia, Spain, Lithuania, Greece, Germany, Croatia, Slovenia and hosts Poland.

There are 17 other Division A teams who will have to participate in the Qualifying Round, starting this summer.

These teams will be divided into three groups of four teams and one group of five teams.

The winners of each group, plus the three best placed runners-up will go to EuroBasket 2009.

The games of the qualifying round will be played in August and September 2008.

The last place will be up for grabs through an Additional Qualifying Round in the summer of 2009.

Division A

Teams to be divided into 4 groups (3 groups of 4 and 1 group of 5)

The winners of each group plus the three best placed runners-up will go to EuroBasket 2009.

One more team will qualify through the Additional Qualifying Round.

Seeding for Qualifying Round group games:

FRANCE
8th Place in Eurobasket 2007
ITALY
9th Place in EuroBasket 2007
PORTUGAL
9th Place in EuroBasket 2007
ISRAEL
11th Place in EuroBasket 2007
TURKEY
11th Place in EuroBasket 2007
LATVIA
13th Place in EuroBasket 2007
SERBIA
13th Place in EuroBasket 2007
CZECH REPUBLIC
13th Place in EuroBasket 2007
FYROM
2nd in AQT
BOSNIA & HERZEGOVINA
3rd in AQT
UKRAINE
AQR
BULGARIA
AQR
ESTONIA
AQR
BELGIUM
AQR
HUNGARY
Winner of RT
FINLAND
Promoted from Division B
GREAT BRITAIN
Promoted from Division B

Qualifying Round game dates:

20th, 23rd, 27th, 30th August and 3rd, 6th, 10th, 13th, 17th, 20th September 2008

Additional Qualifying and Relegation Round game dates:

5th, 8th, 11th, 14th, 17th, 20th, 27th - 30th August 2009

http://www.fibaeurope.com/coid_mYGdGqDvGOcmvAhSdCoyB1.container_frontpage.articleMode_on.html

[Hakkapeliitta]

Finally a chance to see some good international basketball in Finland, if teams like Italy, France, Serbia, Turkey or Israel come to the same group with Finns. Then again, I would not mind a group consisting of Portugal, Czechs and Bulgaria: in that kind of group Finns could create surprises. However, my main wish is that the Finnish national team secures its position on A-level. For a start, that's good enough.

[Nikoo]

Euro 2009 groups

A-Serbia, Italy, Bulgaria, Hungary, Finland
B-Latvia, Portugal, Estonia, Macedonia
C-Turkey, France, Belgium, Ukraine
D-Czech, Israel, Great Britain, Bosnia

[rikhardur]

A-Serbia, Italy, Bulgaria, Hungary, Finland
B-Latvia, Portugal, Estonia, Macedonia
C-Turkey, France, Belgium, Ukraine
D-Czech, Israel, Great Britain, Bosnia

Portugal is in a good group imo, avoiding Serbia, Italy, Turkey and France. The chances are good. They beat Latvia in last year's Eurobasket and Estonia (although from the 2 games played until now against them they lost) and Macedonia are teams that can be beaten. Groups A and C should be easy for the first 2 teams. Some uncertainty about group D (as well as B for that matter).

[Juan Carlos Nadal]

A-Serbia, Italy, Bulgaria, Finland, Hungary
B-Latvia, Portugal, Estonia, FYROM
C-Turkey, France, Belgium, Ukraine
D-Czech, Israel, Great Britain, Bosnia

Wow, we got two different types of groups.

In A and C you got two clear front runners, which will be very unlikely to not pinch the two first spots (i.e. top spot plus one of the 3 best second places). Groups B and D are much more open, with 3 or more candidates for the available places. In group B almost anyone can make it through, but I predict that this may be the group where the 2nd placed team will be left out. Latvia is ahead of the rest, but I'd like to see what Portugal, Estonia and FYROM have to say about it. As for Bulgaria, I think we got the toughest group we could possibly get. Even the lower-seeded teams are fairly strong and in our current state I cannot see us even coming close to challenge the Serbs or the Italians


Btw, what's the situation with Montenegro? Have they not formed a team ready to compete yet?

[xtf_no4]

Montenegro will play in Division B

What I don't understand is this

The winners of each group plus the three best placed runners-up will go to EuroBasket 2009.

How will they handle this as one group is wirth 5 teams and 3 groups are with 4 teams. So the second placed in the 5 team group will very probably have more points than the other group runner ups