Sellout crowds for France's and Italy's home games

NANCY/STRASBOURG/TREVISO (FIBA Basketball World Cup 2019 European Qualifiers) - Tickets are almost all sold out for second window games that will take place in the French cities of Nancy and Strasbourg and the northeastern Italian city of Treviso over the coming days.

A capacity crowd of more than 5,300 spectators is expected when Italy's game against Netherlands gets underway at 8:15pm local time on Friday evening in Treviso's PalaVerde. Thirty minutes later (8:45pm), the more than 6,100 seats in Strasbourg's Rhenus Sport venue will be filled as France take on Russia.

The Italians enter the February window with a 2-0 record in Group D after having beaten Romania 75-70 at home in Turin's Palaruffini. Italy also picked up an 80-64 win over Croatia in Zagreb.

And the French can expect to make the most of another home court advantage situation on Sunday afternoon, when they host Belgium in front of some 6,000 fans in Nancy's Palais des Sports "Jean Weille".

France have a 2-0 record in Group E after beating Belgium 70-59 on the road in Antwerp and then coming home to Rouen to knock off Bosnia and Herzegovina 84-65.

A sellout crowd has also been confirmed for Israel's Group H clash against Great Britain at Tel-Aviv's Shlomo Group Arena - that will open Europe's second window play on Friday afternoon. 

FIBA