Young Dragons to compete in adidas NextGen EuroLeague in Munich in January

Cedevita Olimpija’s U18 team will compete in the 2026-27 adidas NextGen EuroLeague qualifying tournament in Munich, taking place from January 7 to 9, 2027. The Ljubljana side is one of 40 teams from 15 countries set to pursue the European junior club title in the expanded competition.

The Young Dragons will face strong competition in Germany. Alongside host FC Bayern Munich, the tournament will feature Spain’s Joventut Badalona and Valencia Basket, Israel’s Maccabi Tel Aviv, Greece’s Panathinaikos Athens, France’s Pole France INSEP Paris, and NextGen Team Munich. The tournament winner will secure a place at the 2027 adidas NextGen EuroLeague Finals.

Cedevita Olimpija is one of 26 teams entering directly into one of the four qualifying tournaments. The remaining 14 clubs and academies will begin their campaigns in two new pre-qualifying tournaments, introduced to expand the competition and give more young players an opportunity to compete internationally. The overall field includes 17 junior teams from EuroLeague clubs, 10 from BKT EuroCup clubs, and 13 other clubs and academies.

The season will open in Rijeka from October 23 to 25, 2026, with the winner advancing to the qualifying tournament in Belgrade. The second pre-qualifying tournament will take place in Vienna from November 27 to 29, 2026, with its winner earning a place in the Paris qualifier.

Munich will host the first qualifying tournament in January, followed by events in Bologna from January 21 to 23, Paris from February 26 to 28, and Belgrade from April 2 to 4, 2027. Eight teams will compete at the Finals: the four qualifying tournament winners and four teams receiving wild cards from the organizers.

For Cedevita Olimpija’s young players, the tournament in Munich will offer an opportunity to gain valuable international experience and test themselves against their peers from established European basketball programs.