Home advantage: Which fans will have the biggest say in the FIBA Europe Cup Play-Offs?

MUNICH (Germany) - It's almost time for the Play-Offs as the eight remaining clubs battle to be crowned FIBA Europe Cup champions.

Seven different nations are represented amongst the Quarter-Finals lineup, so ahead of the two-legged ties, we decided to look back on the history of home advantage in each country throughout the five editions, taking into account all of the games played.

So, which team's fans will have the biggest say in the Play-Offs?

 

Below, we examine the all-time home records that Belarusian, Danish, German, Latvian, Romanian, Turkish and Ukrainian clubs have accumulated while representing their respective nations in the FIBA Europe Cup.

Note: Qualifiers not included. Minimum of 10 games played.

 BELARUS

All-time home record: 21 wins, 7 losses

2019-20:   Tsmoki-Minsk - 5 wins, 1 loss; average margin: +7

Tsmoki-Minsk have been Belarus' sole representative having featured in every season of the competition. They have racked up 21 wins from 28 games on their home court in that time and this season's Quarter-Finals appearance marks their best run in the competition.

The only previous knock-out game played in Belarus came in the 2017-18 season when Tsmoki-Minsk were beaten 81-72 by Italian side Sidigas Scandone in the second leg. Minsk were perfect at home last season, but failed to make it out of the Regular Season.

Their only defeat at the Falcon Club this campaign came against BC Kyiv Basket before going 3-0 in the Second Round. In the Quarter-Finals, Minsk will host their second leg encounter against Bakken Bears.

 DENMARK

All-time home record: 21 wins, 8 losses

2019-20:  Bakken Bears: 5 wins, 1 loss; average margin: +10

Similarly, Bakken Bears have been near ever-presents in the FIBA Europe Cup as Denmark's only club representative - only missing the 2016-17 season. 

It's the third successive run to the last eight for the Bears having gone one step further to the Semi-Finals in the 2017-18 season. In Play-Offs action, the Danes have recorded three wins from five home ties with two of the defeats coming in the aforementioned run to the last four.

This season, they have found their groove again in Risskov with five wins in a row at home since dropping their opener against Egis Kormend. With their first leg at home to Tsmoki-Minsk, they can take a step towards another Semi-Final appearance by taking the streak to six.

 GERMANY

All-time home record: 30 wins, 4 losses

2019-20:  medi Bayreuth - 5 wins, 1 loss; average margin: +17

The best home record of any nation to have a team compete in the FIBA Europe Cup. Four different teams from Germany have a combined 30 wins and just four losses on home soil between them, although none of which were inflicted on Fraport Skylines as they were a perfect nine of nine on their way to the inaugural title in 2015-16.

However, half of those defeats have come in the Play-Offs with Telekoms Baskets Bonn losing their Semi-Final second leg at home in 2016-17, while s.Oliver Wurzburg were beaten in the second leg of the 2018-19 Final against Dinamo Sassari.

This season, medi Bayreuth advanced through the Second Round unbeaten at home with their only defeat coming against Ventspils in the opening phase. And, confidence will be high as they enter the knock-out stages with the return leg at home against U-BT Cluj-Napoca.

 LATVIA

All-time home record: 12 wins, 3 losses

2019-20:  Ventspils - 5 wins, 1 loss; average margin: +22

Ventspils have been flying the flag for Latvia in the FIBA Europe Cup with the current campaign their fourth appearance. 12 wins from 15 encounters at home marks an impressive record, though that also includes two defeats from three attempts in the Play-Offs.

They recorded six wins from six at home through the first two group phases before dropping Game 1 on their home floor in a Round of 16 exit in the inaugural edition. Ventspils returned two years later, entering at the Round of 16 stage in successive years from the Basketball Champions League and were knocked out on both occasions, though they did win at home in an aggregate defeat last season.

In a full season this time around, their only blemish came against BC Kyiv Basket in the Second Round and will hope to finish the job in their last eight meeting with Bahcesehir College when they return home for the second leg, though they are also perfect on the road.

 ROMANIA

All-time home record: 30 wins, 21 losses

2019-20:  U-BT Cluj Napoca - 6 wins, 0 losses; average margin: +9

2019-20:  BC CSU Sibiu - 0 win, 3 losses; average margin: -5

2019-20:  CSM CSU Oradea -  3 wins, 3 losses; average margin: -5

U-BT Cluj-Napoca have gone against the trend of recent sides from Romania with a gallant run to the Quarter-Finals via the Qualifiers. A perfect 6-0 record from the Regular Season onwards has propelled them into the Play-Offs and boosted the overall record of Romanian teams at home to 30 wins from 51 encounters.

Their first leg matchup with medi Bayreuth will be just the fifth knockout tie played in Romania in the competition with Energia splitting home ties in a 2-1 series defeat in 2015-16, while CSM CSU Oradea defended home court in an aggregate exit in the Round of 16 the following season.

Cluj also have previous experience in the Play-Offs but their venture was short-lived in the 2017-18 season with a second leg defeat at home to Donar compounding a 34-point aggregate loss. This time around, they will be looking to get off on the right foot in front of their faithful following.

 TURKEY

All-time home record: 52 wins, 16 losses

2019-20:  Pinar Karsiyaka - 6 wins, 0 losses; average margin: +23

2019-20:  Bahcesehir College - 4 wins, 2 losses; average margin: +2

No other nation has seen more wins on their own courts with teams from Turkey amassing 52 total wins at home. 

An impressive 15-1 overall record in the 2016-17 campaign also saw all three participants going unbeaten at home in the Play-Offs. Despite home wins, Demir Insaat and Gaziantep were knocked out in the Round of 16 with a last eight exit for Muratbey Usak Sportif as a heavy road defeat proved costly.

Pinar Karsiyaka have been the front-runners in this season's competition with a perfect 6-0 record at home, coming unstuck in the Quarter-Finals last year with a big defeat at home to eventual champions Dinamo Sassari.

They are at home for the second leg against BC Kyiv Basket, while counterparts Bahcesehir College - who thrived from their home support in the Second Round - look to make a strong start in Wednesday's first leg tie with Ventspils.

 UKRAINE

All-time home record: 16 wins, 10 losses

2019-20:  BC Kyiv Basket - 4 wins, 2 losses; average margin: +2

2019-20:  BC Dnipro - 2 wins, 1 loss; average margin: -1

Teams from Ukraine have an overall 16-10 record at home in the competition, splitting the two ties in the Play-Offs with Khimik the only side to make the knockout stages as they reached the Quarter-Finals before losing to Elan Chalon having won seven straight at home prior to the Game 2 defeat.

BC Kyiv Basket have arguably been more impressive on their travels this season with their road scalps including fellow Quarter-Finalists Tsmoki-Minsk and Ventspils. 

However, they also suffered defeats at home to both sides and cannot afford another disappointment in front of their home fans when Pinar Karsiyaka visit for the first leg on Wednesday.

Others

Elsewhere, teams from France have the second best home record - behind Germany - with a combined 54 wins from 64 games (84 percent) with Russian clubs winning 34 of 41 (83 percent), while out of 44 games played in Italy - 35 have been won by the hosts (80 percent).

The Quarter-Finals get underway this Wednesday with the return legs taking place a week later.

FIBA