A period of critical consultations and contacts is what we are going through, with the decisions to be made of historic importance for the future of Euroleague and European basketball in general.
Next Monday, March 13, the 13 EuroLeague teams/shareholders will be invited to vote for the participation of Dubai in the organization. The Arabs contribute to the Euroleague coffers 150 million euros over six years (perhaps also through the airline company Fly Emirates), an amount four times more than the corresponding money of the event this year. But for this to happen, they set a series of conditions, the main ones being participation of a team from Dubai in the Euroleague from 2024/25but also her holding two Final 4s there, in 2025 and 2029.
Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, Real, Barcelona, Baskonia, Efes, Fenerbahce, Maccabi, Zalgiris, Armani Milano, CSKA, Bayern and Villerban have the right to vote. Contacts with the Arabs have started since last year, while in October a delegation of Euroleague representatives visited Dubai for… an autopsy. He is the head of the Arab movement for Dubai’s entry into the Euroleague the embattled Abdullah Al Naboda, who is also the owner of the Dubai Basketball Club team, while the project also has the support of the Sheikh of the United Arab Emirates. They participate in discussions with the Euroleague as representatives of the Arabs Novak Djokovic’s brother Georgeand the Bosnian Dejan Kameniacevic.
As soon as the EuroLeague opens its doors in Dubai, then the gradual increase of teams is a given. Initially from 18 to 20 for the 2024/25 season, with the Paris and the London Lions wild card favorites as representatives of two European cities, from 20 to 22 in 2026/27 and from 22 to 24 in 2028/29.
It is still up for discussion how, with the increase in groups, the format of the event. The Arab side would like everyone to play everyone, but that would overload the calendar and there would be an even bigger rift with FIBA. From the Euroleague point of view the solution of separation into two regions is more preferablewith the teams of the same region playing each other in the regular season home and away and those of the different region playing once, in a home that will be drawn.
In any case, once Dubai enters the Euroleague there will have to be some form of agreement with the FIBA. Today begins a new round of contacts between Euroleague and FIBA with the aim of finding a solution, since schism serves no one. The FIBA side is reporting willing to consolidate the “windows” of November and February in exchange for… the release of the players of the Euroleague teams in order to be available to them at all times and not on occasion and according to the moods of their clubs, as now. At the same time, under discussion is unification of the Basketball Champions League with the Eurocup in one competition, which will offer at least two “tickets” for participation in the Euroleague. In contrast, FIBA is not even discussing starting the EuroLeague season from September, as this would dilute its major events, EuroBasket and the World Cup, which take place a few weeks earlier.
Source: Sport Fm
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