The 1965–66 FIBA European Champions Cup was the ninth season of the European top-tier level professional basketball club competition FIBA European Champions Cup (now called EuroLeague). It was won by Simmenthal Milano, for the first time in its history, the first of the club's three EuroLeague championships.
Simmenthal defeated Slavia VŠ Praha, by a score of 77–72, in the final of the first ever Champions Cup Final Four held in the EuroLeague competition, with two venues used: a venue in Milan, and the Palazzo dello sport arena in Bologna, Italy. The Italian team, featuring future the Basketball Hall of Fame member Bill Bradley, defeated the favorites and former champions, CSKA Moscow, in the semifinal, by a score of 57–68.
Competition system 26 teams. European national domestic league champions, plus the then current FIBA European Champions Cup title holders only, playing in a tournament system. The competition culminated in a Final Four.
First round
*Series decided over a third game after having tied aggregate score after the two home-away games.
Second round
*Series decided over a third game after having tied aggregate score after the two home-away games.
Quarterfinals group stage For the first time in the competition history, the quarterfinals were played with a round-robin system, in which every Two Game series (TGS) constituted as one game for the record. A third decisive game was played if the aggregate score of the first two games was tied.
+ Key to colors for group standings Top two places in each group advance to Semifinals
Group A Games
Standings Team Pld Pts W L PF PA PD 1. Slavia VŠ Praha 3 5 2 1 490 486 +4 2. Simmenthal Milano 3 5 2 1 503 476 +27 3. Racing Mechelen 3 4 1 2 553 570 -17 4. Real Madrid 3 4 1 2 494 508 -14 | style="vertical-align:top; width:33%;"|
Group B Games
Standings Team Pld Pts W L PF PA PD 1. CSKA Moscow 3 5 2 1 453 397 +56 2. AEK 3 5 2 1 413 426 -13 3. CSKA Cherveno zname 3 5 2 1 498 494 +4 4. Zadar 3 3 0 3 483 530 -47
Final four
Semifinals March 31, Milan
March 30, Palazzo dello sport, Bologna
3rd place game April 1, Milan
Final April 1, Palazzo dello sport, Bologna
1965–66 FIBA European Champions CupChampions Simmenthal Milano 1st Title
Final standings Team Simmenthal Milano Slavia VŠ Praha CSKA Moscow AEK
Awards FIBA European Champions Cup Finals Top Scorer Jiří Zídek Sr. ( Slavia VŠ Praha)
References
External links 1965–66 FIBA European Champions Cup Review & Statistics 1965–66 FIBA European Champions Cup
Champions Cup 1965–66 Line-ups and Stats