Club Profile: Proximus Spirou Charleroi

Aug 10, 2015 by Eurocupbasketball.com Print
Club Profile: Proximus Spirou Charleroi

A regular in Europe’s top two competitions, Proximus Spirou Charleroi returns to the Eurocup for an 11th time - the all-time record. Despite coming off a trophy-free campaign, Charleroi remains a Belgian powerhouse and the most decorated club in that country, with 10 titles to its name in the past two decades. Born from the ashes of Spirou Monceau, which moved to Charleroi in 1989, the team reached the Belgian League playoffs in 1992 for the first time ever. Four years later, Spirou claimed the 1996 Belgian Cup and Belgian League titles, which made it the first club from the Wallone Region to win a trophy and led to its debut Euroleague debut. Charleroi continued ruling Belgium from 1997 to 1999 and returned to the Euroleague from 2000 to 2002. The 2003-04 season was another special one for the club. Not only did Spirou win its second straight Belgian League title, but its home court, the Spiroudome, hosted the ULEB Cup Final for the first time. The club also reached the ULEB Cup eighthfinals, losing against Estudiantes. Charleroi made the 2005 ULEB Cup quarterfinals and returned to the elimination rounds in 2006. A four-year domestic dry spell ended in 2008, with the first of four successive Belgian League crowns – including a league-cup double in 2009. The club made back-to-back Euroleague appearances after advancing through the qualifying rounds in both of those seasons. Its dominance at home ended in the 2011-12 season with a loss in the Belgian finals to rival Telenet Ostend. Its goal in the Eurocup next season will be challenging for a Last 32 spot, as it didn't get past the regular season in its last four appearances in the competition. Charleroi will also try to be as competitive as always in all domestic competitions.

2014-15 Results - Eurocup: regular season, Belgian League: semifinals, Belgian Cup: quarterfinals

Loic Schwartz - Proximus Spirou - EC14 (photo Spirou)