Real Madrid will begin their quest for a berth in the Top 16 by playing CSKA Moscow, Partizan Igokea, Efes Pilsen, Armani Jeans Milan, and Panionios On Telecoms in Group D of the regular season of the Euroleague.

The 2008/09 Euroleague season marked its first event Tuesday as the regular season draw was held at The Postbahnhof in Berlin, Germany. A new competition system unveiled this week saw 24 teams drawn into four groups of six with last season's Final Four teams – champion CSKA Moscow, runner-up Maccabi Electra Tel Aviv, Montepaschi Siena and Tau Ceramica – serving as group leaders. The season will tip-off at the Fernando Buesa Arena in Vitoria, Spain, where Tau Ceramica will host the competition’s traditional opening game on October 20. The other 22 teams will begin their seasons the same week, on Wednesday, October 22 and Thursday, October 23. The regular season concludes on January 15, to be followed by the Top 16 (January 28 to March 12) and the expanded best-of-five Quarterfinal Playoffs (March 24 to April 8). The season culminates at the 2009 Final Four, to be held May 1 to 3 at the O2 World in Berlin, with the crowning of a Euroleague champion.

GROUP A: Maccabi Tel Aviv (ISR), Olympiacos (GRE), Unicaja Málaga (ESP), Cibona Zagreb (CRO), Le Mans (FRA), Avellino (ITA)

GROUP B: Montepaschi Siena (ITA), FC Barcelona (ESP), Panathinaikos (GRE), Zalgiris Kaunas (LTU), Prokom Trefl (POL), SLUC Nancy (FRA)

GROUP C: TAU Vitoria (ESP), Fenerbahce (TUR), Virtus Roma (ITA), Union Olimpija (SLO), DKV Joventut (ESP), Alba Berlin (GER)

GROUP D: CSKA Moscow (RUS), Partizan Igokea (SRB), Real Madrid (ESP), Efes Pilsen (TUR), AJ Milano (ITA), Panionios (GRE)