Surne Bilbao opens its Basketball Champions League campaign on Tuesday in Laktasi, Bosnia and Herzegovina, facing a demanding debut against KK Igokea without starting center Tryggvi Hlinason, who suffered a head injury requiring eight stitches during the weekend. Radio Popular reported that the Icelandic big man stayed in Bilbao for medical evaluations following a clash with Dino Radoncic in Sunday’s 104-101 overtime loss to Leyma Coruña in the Liga Endesa.
An Exhausting Transcontinental Trek to Laktasi
The logistical challenge facing the Basque club matches the physical toll of their domestic schedule. Following Sunday’s grueling overtime defeat in A Coruña, the traveling party flew to Madrid and then to Málaga, where they spent Sunday night. On Monday, the squad flew to Zagreb, Croatia, before completing a three-hour bus journey across the border to their team hotel in Banja Luka, roughly 20 minutes from the Laktaši Sports Hall, which is located in a city 15 kilometers away from the club’s founding municipality of Aleksandrovac near the Croatian border.
Head coach Jaume Ponsarnau acknowledged the severe fatigue affecting the roster.
Roster Stretched Thin by Injuries in the Paint
Hlinason’s absence leaves Bilbao severely depleted inside. El Correo and Radio Popular noted that shooting guard Darrun Hilliard—the MVP of the 2025-26 FIBA Europe Cup final—played 17 points against Leyma Coruña but finished the contest with a taped ankle, while French center Bastien Vautier is nursing finger discomfort. Vautier will be forced to shoulder a heavy burden in the paint alongside young Czech prospect Ondrej Hustak, who has entered the traveling roster and is positioned to make his official debut for the club.
Ponsarnau emphasized that physical exhaustion cannot become an excuse as the team transitions to the higher tier of European competition. “Maybe we didn’t manage the team’s energy and rotations as well as we should have, but that’s how it is, and we go with whoever we have at one hundred percent,” Ponsarnau stated in remarks distributed by the club.
KK Igokea Brings Momentum to Group G Opener
Bilbao returns to the Basketball Champions League after capturing back-to-back FIBA Europe Cup titles. Securing a top-two finish in Group G—which also contains Czech side Slavia Praha and German powerhouse ALBA Berlin—remains the primary objective to avoid the complications of the play-in round. ALBA Berlin is widely projected as the group favorite, placing immediate pressure on Bilbao to collect victories away from home.
Bilbao and Igokea Split Previous Champions League Meetings
The sole prior encounter between Surne Bilbao and KK Igokea in the Basketball Champions League dates back to the 2022-23 season, producing a split result where Surne Bilbao won 80-85 in Laktaši and Igokea m:tel won 84-81 in Bilbao. Tuesday’s fixture marks the opening round of the first phase within Group G, completed by Slavia Praha ERA NBK and ALBA Berlin, with Slavia Praha hosting ALBA Berlin on their home court.
Upcoming Schedule and Ticketing at Miribilla
The return leg against Igokea is already scheduled for December 22 at the Bilbao Arena. Meanwhile, the club announced via El Correo that ticket packages for the three home matches of the group phase went on sale Monday, with the club limiting initial access to the lower ring of Miribilla to concentrate crowd energy close to the court. Season ticket holders in the lower ring could purchase passes for their usual seats starting at 12:00 on Monday through their Bacantix profiles or at the club store located at Gran Vía, 80, with the preferential window closing at 10:00 on Wednesday, September 30. Bilbao’s home slate begins on October 14 against Slavia Praha, followed by a visit from ALBA Berlin on November 10.
Tuesday’s opening tip at the Laktaši Sports Hall is set for 20:00 local time (18:00 UTC), with Radio Popular-Herri Irratia broadcasting the European debut from 19:30.
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