By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
The first ever European basketball clubs convention in Barcelona opened a door to the future of the sport, which will include a new model of European competitions with emphasis on sporting results and also on management.
It was kind of symbolic that on the same day Siena was officially declared bankrupted by Italian justice, Euroleague presented its ambitions for a future that “rewards modern management integrity”. The future plan of the league include a model with promotion and relegation of the clubs. This will be based on sporting results, but also on financial transparency and management. The European basketball concept of financial fairplay will not include some kind of salary cap, but strict rules about the percentage of the total budget which the club can spend on players’ salaries. This is still a work in progress, so more details will emerge soon.
Almost 100 clubs and national leagues were represented in Barcelona and as Euroleague CEO Jordi Bertomeu put it: “This convention is a space of reflection and debate about our future, where everyone has the opportunity to make their opinions heard”. However according to Maccabi Tel Aviv‘s president Simon Mizrahi, the voice of the clubs should be the strongest: “It isn’t logical that a third party would instruct the clubs how to run their business. We must support and strengthen the clubs if we want there to be a bright future for basketball”.
The managing director of BBL Jan Pommer explained how this future may look like, if the clubs try to diversify their revenues and invest in infrastructure: “Invest in gyms, structures and other professionals, not only players. Sports management must be based on continuity, long-term thinking, not short-term thinking. I know it’s a challenge with the media, fans and the environment we live in. Nonetheless, this is what we should be striving for”.
The convention ended with a panel discussion including Jan Pommer, Ioris Francini, president of IMG Media & Events, and Andrea Agnelli, President of Juventus FC, which was open to the media and the fans via social media.