Israeli basketball was the last to finish and also the last to return to activity among all the top leagues in Europe.

• Mirotic. On September 18, the Spanish league returns

  Photo: 

  Gettyimages

The basketball season in Europe ended last week on an unusual date - the end of July - with the end of the league in Israel. Germany, Israel and Spain were the only ones on the continent to return to play after the forced corona break, while the rest of the leagues have been shut down since March, so it is no wonder they already want to get back to business.

A look at the start of next season in the top leagues in Europe reveals that following the crisis we will witness an earlier comeback and in various formats. Israel, which as mentioned finished last season, will also be the last to return to activity, but not the last league to open (explanation below).

The whole Corona thing will also change the season openings, as the leagues that have been shut down for so long want to get back into action so as not to lose momentum and regain interest and of course the financial income. Therefore, almost all leagues are ahead of the season opener, but there are those who until now do not know for sure how many teams will be in them - another sign of the corona crisis.

Sergio Rodriguez from Milan (with the ball) // Photo: Gettyimages

Italy will return first

In Italy, only at the last minute did Cremona and Roma announce that they will play in the league after they were already on the verge of dissolution, but it is not yet known if they will eventually be part of 16 teams or 17. In Spain the relegations were canceled last season due to the Corona crisis, but may still join Rises from the second league so that the league will grow to 19 teams; And in Greece still do not know what the size of the league will be.

Another product of the corona crisis is a different conduct in the way the season opens. In Italy, for example, all teams will participate in a Super Cup tournament early before the start of the league with the aim of getting the teams into things and pace after a long period, and also to open the season as early as possible. The tournament, which starts on August 29, will lead to Italy being the first of the major leagues to return to action, even though the local league will only open on September 27.

Although Spain held a season-ending tournament, they will open the 2020/21 season very early: the first round of the league will take place on September 18, and six days earlier (on the 12th and 13th of the month) the Super Tournament will take place -Cap.

In Germany, they are trying to promote the entry of the crowd by a creative solution: next season's activities will begin with the full cup tournament - from the early stages to the final - in the hope that the relatively late league opening (November 7) will already allow partial entry. Therefore, although Israel will return to recent activity, the Israeli league will not be the last to open.

The Cup tournament in Germany will open on October 17, coinciding with the opening of the league in Israel, which returns relatively late (two weeks from what is usually customary) to allow teams to get organized after playing until the end of July.

Greece will hold its first square tournament to open the season on September 24/23. The Greek league will start on October 10, as the Champions League Final 8 tournament will take place, with the participation of AEK Athens.

The leagues in Turkey (27.9 in France (25.9) and the VTB League 20) will also start in September. The Adriatic League will open at its regular time on October 3.