The three French clubs involved in the FIBA Europe Cup, Cholet, Le Portel and Dijon, passed the obstacle of the first round. Now, it's time for the top 16, with the same format as in the previous round, that is to say groups of four teams, where each plays 6 matches in a two-way format. The top two from each group will play in the quarter-finals of the competition.
Cholet and Le Portel already battling, Dijon begins against the leader of the Romanian championship
The game of places in the first round led Cholet and Le Portel to find themselves in the same group. The two French clubs, who will launch hostilities this Tuesday, December 3 at La Meilleraie (8:30 p.m.), agree on the same point: it is an extremely tough group, with the Italians from Sassari and the Spaniards from Bilbao . “The pool is Champions League level” describes the Cholet coach Fabrice Lefrançois with the Western Mail. For the Portelois winger I said DiawaraThere is “very high level teams”which makes it “the group of death”he explains to The Voice of the North.
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For JDA Dijon, things seem simpler on paper to be among the last eight teams still in competition. The Burgundian club will begin its top 16 this Wednesday, December 4 in Oradea, leader of the Romanian championship (10 wins – 0 losses) and where former Strasbourg Kris Richard and ex-Mets 92 Brandon Brown feature.
The Joan of Arc will also challenge the Estonians of Kalev-Cramo, winner of the Portel twice in the first round, as well as the PAOK Salonika of Massimo Cancellieri. In the grip of a restructuring of its squad during the international break in November, it remains to be seen that Laurent Legname's team has finally found the right combination, which remains on a victory in Nanterre in Betclic ELITE.
