Romanian Men's National Basketball League begins new season

The 2026-2027 season of the Romanian Men's National Basketball League begins this Saturday with several key matchups. CSM CSU Raiffeisen Oradea will make their debut against CSM Galați. This match marks the official domestic league debut for Finnish coach Mikko Riipinen. Oradea will be playing without Rolland Torok, who is sidelined with a thigh injury, though Andrei Topai is included in the traveling squad. CSM Galați enters the season under new leadership with Greek coach Teodosios Paralikas.

In another opening fixture, CSM BBA Petrolul Ploiești faces CSO Voluntari. The Ploiești team, led by coach Milan Skobalj, has undergone significant roster changes, including the addition of four foreign players: Malachi Smith, Nicholas Lynch, Matt Hayman, and Filip Skobalj. The team will be missing Robert Pătraru due to injury. This follows a season where Petrolul Ploiești finished 11th and competed in the play-out phase.