1971–72 FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup

{{Infobox sports season

| title = 1971–72 FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup

| league = FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup

| sport = Basketball

| logo =

| logo_size =

| caption =

| duration =

| attendance =

| season =

| season_champs =

| MVP =

| MVP_link =

| top_scorer =

| top_scorer_link =

| playoffs =

| playoffs_link =

| playoffs_MVP =

| finals = Finals

| finals_link = 1971–72 FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup Finals

| finals_champ = {{flagicon|ITA}} Simmenthal Milano

| finals_runner-up = {{flagicon|YUG}} Crvena zvezda

| final_four_MVP =

| final_four_MVP_link =

| seasonslist =

| seasonslistnames = FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup

| prevseason_link = 1970–71 FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup

| prevseason_year = 1970–71

| nextseason_year = 1972–73

| nextseason_link = 1972–73 FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup

}}

The 1971–72 FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup was the sixth edition of FIBA's 2nd-tier level European-wide professional club basketball competition, contested between national domestic cup champions, running from 4 November 1971, to 21 March 1972. It was contested by 21 teams, five less than in the previous edition, and it marked a reform in the competition's format; a 6-team group stage was introduced, replacing the quarterfinals.[http://todor66.com/basketball/Eurocups/Men_CWC_1972.html Results] in todor66.com

Defending champion, Simmenthal Milano, defeated Crvena zvezda in the final, which returned to a single game format, to win their second trophy, becoming the first team to successfully defend its title.[http://hemeroteca.mundodeportivo.com/preview/1972/03/22/pagina-30/977319/pdf.html Basketball Cup Winner's Cup – Simmenthal is the champion again]. El Mundo Deportivo, 22 March 1972 It was the third title in a row for an Italian League team. This season's FIBA European Champions Cup final, also featured Italian and Yugoslav League teams, with the same outcome.

Participants

{{col-begin}}

{{col-break}}

class="wikitable" style="margin-left:0.5em;"
|Country| Teamscolspan=5| Clubs
{{flagicon|ITA}} Italyalign=center| 2

| Fides Napoli

| Simmenthal Milano

{{flagicon|ALB|1946}} Albaniaalign=center| 1

| Partizani Tirana

{{flagicon|AUT}} Austriaalign=center| 1

| Handelsministerium

{{flagicon|BEL}} Belgiumalign=center| 1

| Racing Bell Mechelen

{{flagicon|BUL|1971}} Bulgariaalign=center| 1

| Levski-Spartak

{{flagicon|TCH}} Czechoslovakiaalign=center| 1

| Spartak ZJŠ Brno

{{flagicon|DEN}} Denmarkalign=center| 1

| Gladsaxe

{{flagicon|ENG}} Englandalign=center| 1

| Sutton & Crystal Palace

{{flagicon|FIN}} Finlandalign=center| 1

| Helsingin Kisa-Toverit

{{flagu|France}}align=center| 1

| Denain Voltaire

{{flagicon|GRE|1970}} Greecealign=center| 1

| AEK

{{flagicon|ISR}} Israelalign=center| 1

| Maccabi Haifa

{{flagicon|LUX}} Luxembourgalign=center| 1

| Arantia Larochette

{{flagicon|NED}} Netherlandsalign=center| 1

| Fiat Stars

{{flagicon|POR}} Portugalalign=center| 1

| Coimbra

{{flagicon|ESP|1945}} Spainalign=center| 1

| Juventud Schweppes

{{flagicon|SYR|1932}} Syriaalign=center| 1

| Ghouta

{{flagicon|TUR}} Turkeyalign=center| 1

| Beşiktaş

{{flagicon|FRG}} West Germanyalign=center| 1

| Mainz

{{flagicon|YUG}} Yugoslaviaalign=center| 1

| Crvena zvezda

{{col-end}}

First round

{{TwoLeg start}}

{{TwoLegResult|Spartak ZJŠ Brno|TCH|224–150|Arantia Larochette|LUX|111–65|113–85|winner=1}}

{{TwoLegResult|Fides Napoli|ITA|164–120|Mainz|FRG|82–49|82–71|winner=1}}

{{TwoLegResult|Juventud Schweppes|ESP|var1=1945|4–0*|Partizani Tirana|ALB|var2=1946|2–0|2–0|winner=1}}

{{TwoLegResult|Sutton & Crystal Palace|ENG|171–118|Gladsaxe|DEN|83–68|88–50|winner=1}}

{{TwoLegResult|Maccabi Haifa|ISR|158–200|Denain Voltaire|FRA|82–109|76–91|winner=2}}

{{TwoLegResult|Racing Bell Mechelen|BEL|190–144|Coimbra|POR|113–71|77–73|winner=1}}

{{TwoLegResult|Ghouta|SYR|var1=1932|0–4*|Levski-Spartak|BUL|var2=1971|0–2|0–2|winner=2}}

{{TwoLegResult|AEK|GRE|var1=1970|139–111|Beşiktaş|TUR|72–45|67–66|winner=1}}

{{TwoLegResult|Handelsministerium|AUT|4–0*|Fiat Stars|NED|2–0|2–0|winner=1}}

{{TwoLegResult|Crvena zvezda|YUG|196–139|Helsingin Kisa-Toverit|FIN|95–62|101–77|winner=1}}

|}

*Partizani Tirana (for political reasons), Ghouta and Blue Stars Amsterdam all withdrew before the first leg, and their rivals received a forfeit (2-0) in both games.

Second round

{{TwoLeg start}}

{{TwoLegResult|Spartak ZJŠ Brno|TCH|151–168|Fides Napoli|ITA|69–76|82–92|winner=2}}

{{TwoLegResult|Juventud Schweppes|ESP|var1=1945|217–107|Sutton & Crystal Palace|ENG|120–62|97–45|winner=1}}

{{TwoLegResult|Denain Voltaire|FRA|146–158|Racing Bell Mechelen|BEL|74–68|72–90|winner=2}}

{{TwoLegResult|Levski-Spartak|BUL|var1=1971|170–184|AEK|GRE|var2=1970|103–69|67–115|winner=2}}

{{TwoLegResult|Handelsministerium|AUT|158–205|Crvena zvezda|YUG|90–97|68–108|winner=2}}

|}

;Automatically qualified to the quarter-finals group stage:

Quarterfinals

The quarter finals were played with a round-robin system, in which every Two Game series (TGS) constituted as one game for the record.

class="wikitable"

|+ Key to colors

style="background:#cfc;"|     

|Top two places in each group advance to semifinals

{|

|-

| style="vertical-align:top; width:33%;"|

=Group A=

class="wikitable"

!

!1st leg

!2nd leg

!Agg

{{flagicon|ITA}} Fides Napoli – {{flagicon|BEL}} Racing Bell Mechelen

|97-82

|77-90

|177-172

{{flagicon|ESP|1945}} Juventud Schweppes – {{flagicon|ITA}} Fides Napoli

|83-69

|66-92

|149-161

{{flagicon|BEL}} Racing Bell Mechelen – {{flagicon|ESP|1945}} Juventud Schweppes

|96-77

|57-77

|153-154

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

!width=15| !!width=220|Team !!width=20|Pld !!width=20|Pts !!width=20|W !!width=20|L !!width=20|PF !!width=20|PA !!width=20|PD

style="background: #ccffcc;"

| 1.

align=left|{{flagicon|ITA}} Fides Napoli

| 2

420335321+14
style="background: #ccffcc;"

| 2.

align=left|{{flagicon|ESP|1945}} Juventud Schweppes

| 2

311303314-11
style="background: #ffcccc;"

| 3.

align=left|{{flagicon|BEL}} Racing Bell Mechelen

| 2

202325328-3

| style="vertical-align:top; width:33%;"|

=Group B=

class="wikitable"

|

|1st leg

|2nd leg

| Agg

{{flagicon|GRE|1970}} AEK – {{flagicon|ITA}} Simmenthal Milano

|57-84

|76-117

|133-201

{{flagicon|YUG}} Crvena zvezda – {{flagicon|GRE|1970}} AEK

|100-63

|76-100

|176-163

{{flagicon|ITA}} Simmenthal Milano – {{flagicon|YUG}} Crvena zvezda

|86-62

|58-84

|144-146

class="wikitable" style="text-align:center"

!width=15| !!width=220|Team !!width=20|Pld !!width=20|Pts !!width=20|W !!width=20|L !!width=20|PF !!width=20|PA !!width=20|PD

style="background: #ccffcc;"

| 1.

align=left|{{flagicon|YUG}} Crvena zvezda

| 2

420322307+15
style="background: #ccffcc;"

| 2.

align=left|{{flagicon|ITA}} Simmenthal Milano

| 2

311345279+66
style="background: #ffcccc;"

| 3.

align=left|{{flagicon|GRE|1970}} AEK

| 2

202296377-81

|}

Semifinals

{{TwoLeg start}}

{{TwoLegResult|Fides Napoli|ITA|152–161|Simmenthal Milano|ITA|69–85|83–76|winner=2}}

{{TwoLegResult|Juventud Schweppes|ESP|var1=1945|153–160|Crvena zvezda|YUG|83–70|70–90|winner=2}}

|}

Final

March 21, Alexandreio Melathron, Thessaloniki

{{OneLegStart}}

{{OneLegResult|Simmenthal Milano|ITA|74–70|Crvena zvezda|YUG|winner=1}}

|}

class=wikitable style="text-align:center; margin:auto"

!1971–72 FIBA European Cup Winners' Cup Champions

{{flagicon|ITA|size=100px}}
Simmenthal Milano
2nd title

References

{{reflist}}