FC Porto learns Champions League rivals on return, Benfica heads to Bulgaria

FC Porto has learned its opponents for the Basketball Champions League group stage, while Benfica, the league runner-up, will need to navigate a qualification round to reach the same stage of the competition.

The draw took place this Wednesday in Mies, Switzerland.

The Dragons were placed in Group H, where they will face Israel's Bnei Penlink Herzliya, Spain's Asisa Joventut, and Germany's Telekom Baskets Bonn.

Meanwhile, the Eagles' journey begins in Qualification Tournament 2, scheduled to run from September 14 to 20 in Samokov, Bulgaria. Their first hurdle will be Swiss side Lions de Genève in a Round of 16 match within this preliminary phase.

Should Benfica overcome their Swiss opponents, they will then face the winner of the clash between Germany's RASTA Vechta and Turkey's Yukatel Denizli in the quarterfinals. Only the ultimate winner of each of the two qualification tournaments secures a spot in the competition's regular season.

Should the Reds qualify, they will join Group F alongside Hapoel Holon (Israel), Cholet Basket (France), and Spartak Office Shoes (Serbia), as determined by the draw at the Patrick Baumann House of Basketball, FIBA's headquarters.

The Basketball Champions League regular season kicks off on October 6 and features eight groups of four teams. Group winners advance directly to the Round of 16. Second and third-placed teams will compete in a best-of-three play-in series to determine the remaining qualifiers for the knockout stage.