Written by Swikriti | Jan 7, 2026

An Italian basketball club’s European campaign ended in stunning fashion after it was left with just one eligible player on the court, forcing officials to halt play and record an automatic defeat.

Trapani Shark arrived for a FIBA Champions League play-in game against Hapoel Netanel Holon in Bulgaria with only five available players — an unusually thin roster, with two of them making their professional debuts.

The situation escalated almost immediately. Three Trapani players reportedly stopped participating during the first quarter for reasons that have not been publicly clarified. When a fourth player fouled out with roughly three minutes left in the opening period, officials stopped the contest because the team had fewer than two players ready to continue.

Holon was already leading 38–5 at the time of the stoppage — and the forfeit carried major consequences. The game was the first in the play-in series used to determine who advances to the round of 16, and competition rules state that a team that forfeits a game in this stage automatically loses the series. As a result, Holon advanced.

Why Trapani showed up anyway

Trapani’s future is now clouded by uncertainty. The club has been linked to financial difficulties and said it played the fixture to avoid what it described as a “draconian” fine of €600,000.

The problems appear to be broader than one chaotic European night. Trapani has already faced sanctions from the Italian Basketball Federation this season, and the club recently chose not to play a domestic league match against Virtus Segafredo, adding to concerns about what comes next.

What happens next

Beyond the immediate elimination, the forfeiture raises bigger questions: how a professional team can field a roster so short-handed, what triggered multiple players to stop playing mid-quarter, and whether Trapani can stabilize enough to complete the season.

Source: This incident was first reported by ESPN , which detailed the unusual circumstances surrounding the stoppage and subsequent forfeit in the FIBA Champions League play-in game.