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8h ago

Alba Berlin Opens Champions League Era With Home Debut Against Elan Chalon

Alba’s Euroleague exit over cost concerns ushers in a FIBA campaign with fewer guaranteed games, a reduced payroll, a reworked roster.

Alba Berlin im Spiel gegen Trier
Audio: rbb24 Inforadio | 8.10.2025 | Nikolaus Hillmann
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Overview

  • Berlin hosts France’s Elan Chalon in the Uber Arena for its first FIBA Champions League game, with roughly 7,000 fans expected after Chalon’s notable 104–99 league win at Monaco.
  • Group opponents are Elan Chalon, BC Sabah of Azerbaijan and ERA Nymburk of the Czech Republic, with only six guaranteed group games before potential play-ins and a Final Four pathway.
  • Point guard Martin Hermannsson says the team is good enough to go far, while coach Pedro Calles cautions against title talk and frames the season as an early-stage rebuild.
  • Alba left the Euroleague after being asked to pay about €5 million for a three-season license, a demand CEO Marco Baldi called unacceptable, and the club has cut its budget by over 40%.
  • Club leaders publicly signal interest in a proposed NBA Europe project and regular talks are reported, though locations, financing and a possible 2027–28 launch remain uncertain.