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VTB United League

Founded	2009; 15 years ago (2009)
First season	2009–10
Country	Russia
Other club(s) from	Kazakhstan
Confederation	FIBA Europe FIBA Asia
Number of teams	12
Level on pyramid	1
Domestic cup(s)	Russian Cup
Supercup	VTB League Supercup
International cup(s)	EuroLeague (suspended) EuroCup (suspended) Champions League (suspended) Europe Cup (suspended) West Asia Super League
Current champions	CSKA Moscow (11th title)
Most championships	CSKA Moscow (11 titles)
Website	vtb-league.com
2023–24

The VTB United League (Russian: Единая Лига ВТБ) is an international professional men's club basketball league that was founded in 2009. It is made up of mostly Russian clubs, along with one each from Belarus and Kazakhstan. Since 2013, it is the first tier of Russian professional club basketball. Therefore, the highest placed Russian team in the league can also be named the Russian national champions. The league is sponsored by Russian state-owned VTB Bank. In 2009 CSKA Moscow won VTB United League Promo-Cup, but this competition does not count as official VTB title. CSKA has dominated the league, having won majority of titles its existence. The VTB United League also holds a youth competition, the VTB United Youth League.

History

The first step in the creation of the league was a competition named the VTB United League Promo-Cup held in Moscow in December 2009. The final of the Promo-Cup was played on December 22, 2009, and was won by CSKA Moscow, who defeated Khimki 70–66. Kyiv ended third.

Unification with the Russian PBL

In May 2012, all the PBL clubs gathered to decide which format would be used for the next season, and some club's directors raised the possibility of uniting with the VTB United League, to produce greater competition between the Russian basketball clubs. They suggested that the new league be named the Eastern European Professional Basketball League.

In July 2012, the Council of VTB United League decided that the PBL league would continue for one more year, with some games of the VTB United League that took place between two Russian clubs being counted as PBL games. The first tier Russian clubs then replaced the PBL with the VTB United League as their new national domestic league, starting with the 2013-14 season.

The VTB United League was recognized by FIBA Europe in September 2013. The league was then officially recognized by FIBA World in October 2014. The league needed to be recognized by both bodies, because it contains clubs that come from countries that are part of both the European and Asian FIBA zones.

The honorary head of the league is Sergei Ivanov and its official sponsor is Pavel Vrublevsky of ChronoPay.

Formats

In its inaugural 2009–10 season, the VTB United League featured clubs from Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, Russia, and Ukraine. For the 2010–11 season, teams from Belarus, Finland, and Poland were added to the league. The 2011–12 season featured 18 teams, with new teams being added from the Czech Republic and Kazakhstan. In the 2012–13 season, the number of teams increased to 20. The number of teams decreased to 16 for the 2014–15 season, and the teams from Lithuania and Ukraine dropped out of the league.

During the 2021–22 season, ten teams were left to compete after the Polish and Estonian clubs withdrew from the league in protest against the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Arena rules

In order for clubs to play in the VTB United League, they must have a home arena that has a seating capacity of at least 3,000 seats.

Team appearances

Team	2008 (8)	09–10 (8)	10–11 (12)	11–12 (18)	12–13 (20)	13–14 (20)	14–15 (16)	15–16 (16)	16–17 (13)	17–18 (13)	18–19 (14)	19–20 (13)	20–21 (13)	21–22 (12)	22–23 (12)
Tsmoki-Minsk			GS	GS	GS	GS	14th	12th	12th	9th	14th	(13th)	13th	9th	12th
Nymburk				GS	GS	GS	15th	QF
Kalev/Cramo		GS		GS	GS	GS	9th	14th	11th	12th	QF	(8th)	10th	Ret
Bisons Loimaa							13th	13th
Espoon Honka			GS
Torpan Pojat				QR
VITA Tbilisi								16th
Astana					1/8	1/8	QF	15th	QF	10th	QF	(9th)	12th	10th	11th
ASK Rīga	7th
VEF Rīga		GS	GS		QF	GS	GS	11th	QF	QF	10th
Lietuvos rytas			GS	3rd	GS	SF
Neptūnas					GS	GS
Šiauliai				QR
Žalgiris	5th	3rd	1/8	1/8	3rd
Anwil				QR
Prokom	8th		GS	GS
Turów					GS	GS
Zielona Góra											12th	(7th)	QF	Ret
Avtodor							QF	QF	10th	QF	11th	(12th)	9th	QF	QF
CSKA	1st	1st	2nd	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st	1st	(2nd)	1st	2nd	3rd
Dynamo	4th
Enisey				GS	GS	1/8	11th	10th	QF	13th	9th	(11th)	11th	QF	9th
Khimki	2nd	4th	1st	QF	4th	QF	2nd	SF	2nd	2nd	2nd	(1st)	QF
Krasny Oktyabr						1/8	12th	9th
Krasnye Krylia				GS	QF	QF	16th
Lokomotiv Kuban				4th	2nd	QF	SF	QF	SF	QF	QF	(3rd)	SF	4th	2nd
Nizhny Novgorod				1/8	QF	2nd	SF	QF	9th	QF	QF	(10th)	QF	QF	QF
Parma									13th	11th	13th	(5th)	QF	QF	QF
Spartak				QF	1/8	1/8
Triumph					1/8	QF
UNICS		2nd	3rd	2nd	QF	SF	QF	2nd	QF	4th	SF	(4th)	2nd	3rd	1st
Zenit							QF	SF	SF	3rd	SF	(6th)	SF	1st	2nd
Azovmash	6th	GS	4th	GS	GS	GS
Budivelnyk				GS
Dnipro			GS	QR
Donetsk		GS			1/8	GS
Kyiv	3rd

Results

Season	Finals & Final four hosts	Finals			Third Place Playoff
		Gold	Score	Silver	Bronze	Score	Fourth place
2008 Details	Russia (USK CSKA, Moscow)	CSKA Moscow	70–66	Khimki	Kyiv	86–73	Dynamo Moscow
2009–10 Details	Lithuania (Sports Hall, Kaunas)	CSKA Moscow	66–55	UNICS	Žalgiris	78–72	Khimki
2010–11 Details	Russia (Basket Hall, Kazan)	Khimki	66–64	CSKA Moscow	UNICS	95–75	Azovmash
2011–12 Details	Lithuania (Siemens Arena, Vilnius)	CSKA Moscow	74–62	UNICS	Lietuvos rytas	91–83	Lokomotiv Kuban
2012–13 Details	In home and away venues	CSKA Moscow	3–1 Series	Lokomotiv Kuban	Žalgiris	Did not play	Khimki
2013–14 Details	In home and away venues	CSKA Moscow	3–0 Series	Nizhny Novgorod	UNICS	Did not play	Lietuvos rytas
2014–15 Details	In home and away venues	CSKA Moscow	3–0 Series	Khimki	Lokomotiv Kuban	Did not play	Nizhny Novgorod
2015–16 Details	In home and away venues	CSKA Moscow	3–1 Series	UNICS	Zenit Saint Petersburg	Did not play	Khimki
2016–17 Details	In home and away venues	CSKA Moscow	3–0 Series	Khimki	Zenit Saint Petersburg	Did not play	Lokomotiv Kuban
2017–18 Details	Russia (VTB Ice Palace, Moscow)	CSKA Moscow	95–84	Khimki	Zenit Saint Petersburg	93–79	UNICS
2018–19 Details	In home and away venues	CSKA Moscow	3–0 Series	Khimki	UNICS	Did not play	Zenit Saint Petersburg
2019–20 Details	Cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic - no champion announced.
2020–21 Details	In home and away venues	CSKA Moscow	3–0 Series	UNICS	Lokomotiv Kuban	Did not play	Zenit Saint Petersburg
2021–22 Details	In home and away venues	Zenit Saint Petersburg	4–3 Series	CSKA Moscow	UNICS	3–1 Series	Lokomotiv Kuban
2022–23 Details	In home and away venues	UNICS	4–1 Series	Lokomotiv Kuban	CSKA Moscow	4–1 Series	Zenit Saint Petersburg
2023–24	In home and away venues	CSKA Moscow	4–1 Series	UNICS	Zenit Saint Petersburg	3–1 Series	Lokomotiv Kuban

^† The whole 2008 tournament was staged in Moscow, including the Final Four.

2008 tournament does not count as official VTB title.

Titles by club

Abroad competitions

Major awards

• Hall of Fame
• Most Valuable Player
• Playoffs MVP
• Coach of the Year
• Young Player of the Year
• Sixth Man of the Year
• Defensive Player of the Year

Awards by nationality

• Top Belarusian player
• Top Estonian player
• Top Kazakh player
• Top Latvian player
• Top Russian player

Statistical awards

• Scoring leader
• Rebounding leader
• Assist leader
• Steals leader
• Block leader
• Free throw percentage leader

Records

Sponsorship

Andrey Kostin's VTB Bank has been a long-term league sponsor. However, it recorded losses of connected to other sponsorships (FC Dynamo Moscow and HC Dynamo Moscow) and contributions to charities. This led to the Bank of Moscow joining as main sponsor.

Predecessor leagues

• USSR Premier League: (1923–1992)
• Russian Super League 1 (1st-tier): (1992–2010)
• Russian Professional League: (2010–2013)

See also

• Russian Professional Championship: (1991–present)
• Russian Professional League: (2010–2013)
• Russian Super League 1: (1992–present)
• Russian Cup: (1999–present)
• USSR Cup: (1949–1987)
• Russian basketball league system
• Basketball in Russia
• Adriatic League
• Baltic League
• Belarusian Premier League
• Kazakhstan Championship

References

1. "About League". vtb-league.com. Archived from the original on 2009-10-19. Retrieved 2009-10-15.
2. "PROMO-CUP: CSKA WIN". Sport Express. Archived from the original on 2011-07-19. Retrieved 2009-10-24.
3. 20 clubs will play in VTB United League championship in seasone-2012/13 Archived 2012-06-09 at the Wayback Machine, vtb-league.com, May 20, 2012
4. "PBL looks to a better future". ULEB. 30 January 2012. Retrieved 4 February 2012.
5. Triumph applied an application to participate in the new season of VTB United League Archived 2013-10-14 at the Wayback Machine, May 20, 2012, vtb-league.com
6. BEKO PBL Press service. "BEKO PBL Board suggests scheme of 2012/2013 season". pbleague.ru. Retrieved 26 August 2012.
7. VTB League Officially Recognised.
8. "FIBA Europe officially recognizes VTB United League". Archived from the original on 2014-10-12. Retrieved 2014-10-07.
9. Михайлов, Сергей (Mikhailov, Sergey) (9 June 2015). "Схемщик нашел прибежище: Что ищет в России Беглый Украинский ехс-депутат Шепелев" [The schemer found refuge: What the runaway Ukrainian ex-duputy Shepelev seeks in Russia]. «Соверше́нно секре́тно» ("Top secret") (in Russian). Archived from the original on 19 August 2016. Retrieved 25 January 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
10. Михайлов, Сергей (Mikhailov, Sergey) (9 June 2015). "Схемщик нашел прибежище: Что ищет в России беглый Украинский экс-депутат Шепелев" [The schemer has taken refuge: What the fugitive Ukrainian ex-deputy Shepelev is looking for in Russia]. «Соверше́нно секре́тно» ("Top secret") (in Russian). Archived from the original on 9 September 2015. Retrieved 25 January 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
11. "Врублевский: ЕЛ ВТБ — это возрождение баскетбола в России" [Vrublevsky: EL VTB is the revival of basketball in Russia]. championat.com (in Russian). 29 April 2011. Retrieved 25 January 2021.
12. "New clubs in the VTB United League". VTB United League. 28 March 2011. Retrieved 28 March 2011.
13. "Zielona Gora joins Kalev/Cramo in departing the VTB United League". eurohoops.net. 25 February 2022. Retrieved 25 February 2022.
14. "Krasnye Krylia not to compete in VTB United League next season". Archived from the original on 2015-07-21. Retrieved 2015-07-21.
15. Воронова, Татьяна (Voronova, Tatiana); Еремина, Анна (Eremina, Anna); Казакулова, Галина (Kazakulova, Galina) (16 April 2015). "Убытки – не помеха для благотворительности ВТБ: В I квартале 2015 года госбанк получил 5 млрд рублей убытка и при этом 15,5 млрд рублей потратил на благотворительность" [Losses are not a hindrance to VTB's charity: In the first quarter of 2015, the state bank received 5 billion rubles in losses and at the same time spent 15.5 billion rubles on charity]. Vedomosti (in Russian). Retrieved 25 January 2021.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)

External links

• Official website

• VTB United League
• Basketball leagues in Estonia
• Basketball leagues in Latvia
• Basketball leagues in Lithuania
• Basketball leagues in Russia
• Basketball leagues in Ukraine
• Basketball leagues in Belarus
• 2009 establishments in Russia
• Sports leagues established in 2009
• Professional sports leagues in Russia
• Professional sports leagues in Poland
• Professional sports leagues in Belarus
• Multi-national professional sports leagues
• Basketball leagues in Poland
• Multi-national basketball leagues in Europe