A very interesting interview was given to the Israeli Sports Walla by Marshall Glickman. Its CEO Euroleague he confirmed the intention to increase the teams from the current 18, as well as the willingness of Dubai to enter in the future, while appearing conciliatory towards FIBA, although he does not see a solution to the dispute ahead of the new season.
“It is necessary to increase the Euroleague teams. I don’t have a magic number, but 18 isn’t enough. We have more teams wanting to enter than places to offer them. I like the format as it is now with two rounds and so does the Final 4. Maybe we should introduce play ins“, he initially emphasized.
At the same time, he confirmed that the Euroleague wants to open in the big markets of London and Paris. “I definitely believe that these two cities will have a team in the Euroleague in the future. We did a research last year and saw how we can develop the market in Germany, France and England“, write down.
Regarding the discussions with Dubai for sponsorship with the simultaneous entry of his team into the Euroleague, he said: “Certainly next season we will not have a team from Dubai. We have had many discussions with them over the past two years and it is something we are interested in. If it happens, it will only be after much thought and planning. It is a different and special case. The issue of distance is important for travel. There is a growing market there, there is money and a huge stadium, but there is no history and tradition, no league or team. We want to see a start made on them. However, it would be good if a team from Dubai entered the Euroleague, as it would also send a political message. Do I like watching the Greeks play the Turks? And it would be great if the Israelis also played with the Arabs».
As for when will the Russian teams return to the Euroleague? “Not before the war is over. In this we will faithfully follow the decisions of the International Olympic Committee and other leading authorities and act accordingly“, he replied.
Finally, he talked about the dispute with FIBA ​​and whether there is room to find a golden ratio. “I don’t judge what happened with the previous administration, after all Bertomeu is my friend. But me and Dejan Bodiroga are trying to bring a fresh approach. We met with FIBA ​​and the whole thing is confusing. We may not be able to find a solution for the new season, but the discussions are taking place in an excellent atmosphere“, he said and added:
“Obviously as a business we don’t like players leaving their clubs to play for their national teams, but it’s something they want, so it becomes important to us. Even in the US they realize this now, unlike in the past. We want them to play in their national teams. Now the question is how we will configure the calendar. It is the biggest challenge, but it is not something simple. There are the national championships and the Cups as well, while the Eurocup and the Basketball Champions League must also be resolved. I don’t know what the answer is to all of this, but the only thing that is certain is that there is a good mood».
Source: Sport Fm
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