ULEB Cup: Which Competition Is It?
The ULEB Cup became basketball’s EuroCup. Here’s how it differs from handball’s EHF European League, European Cup and EURO Cup.
The ULEB Cup was a European basketball club competition, not a handball tournament. It was created in 2002 as a second-tier competition, according to the European Basketball Leagues history. The EuroCup name followed for the 2008/09 season, as recorded in the EuroCup historical overview. Historical ULEB Cup results belong to basketball’s EuroCup record, not to an EHF handball competition.
For a handball reader, the important distinction is between three similar-looking EHF names: European League, European Cup and EURO Cup. They are not interchangeable.
Which handball competition do you mean?
| Name in a result or archive | Sport and team type | What the name identifies |
|---|---|---|
| ULEB Cup / EuroCup | Basketball clubs | The competition founded as the ULEB Cup in 2002, later known as EuroCup |
| EHF European League | Handball clubs; men’s and women’s competitions | The second-tier club competition that replaced the EHF Cup in 2020/21 |
| EHF European Cup | Handball clubs; men’s and women’s competitions | The third-tier club competition that replaced the Challenge Cup in 2020/21 |
| EHF EURO Cup | Handball national teams | A competition separate from the EHF EURO championship and its qualifiers |
The two club-competition changes are set out in the EHF’s 2020 business report. The EHF also describes the European League’s men’s and women’s competitions.
For a concrete national-team example, the Men’s EHF EURO Cup 2026 involved Denmark, Sweden, Norway and France. The three hosts and then-reigning European champions France were already qualified for the EHF EURO final tournament; other nations competed in the separate qualifiers. That distinction appears in the official 2026 draw procedure.
How to label the results correctly
Before comparing scores or counting titles, identify the sport, full competition name, season, and men’s or women’s field. A shared word such as “Cup” does not establish a shared record history.
In particular, an old EHF Cup result should not be relabelled “ULEB Cup.” The European League replaced the EHF Cup in handball in 2020/21. Likewise, “EHF European Cup” identifies a club event, whereas “EHF EURO Cup” identifies a national-team event.
If you were looking for handball rather than basketball, continue with the EHF European League Men’s 2026/27 format or the Women’s EHF EURO Cup 2026 Finals format.