By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
For the second summer in a row, Daniel Hackett left the training camp of the Italian national team, he was punished for that with a six months ban by the Italian federation and his side is ready to appeal this decision in a case which is not expected to be resolved anytime soon.
Τhings are expected to get more complicated. The Italian federation insists that Hackett left the team without permission and of course there’s also the other side of the story by the player. That’s why Hackett will appeal the decision which at the moment prevents him from playing in Legabasket until the 12 of April 2015. The ban doesn’t apply to Euroleague and it’s questionable if it will also apply to other national leagues. In order for that to happen, FIBA Europe has to ratify the ban. In a similar case of a two months ban to Loukas Mavrokefalidis by the Greek basketball federation back in 2011, practically the ban was never imposed to the player who was at the time playing in Russia for Spartak St. Petersburg. After a long legal battle, Mavrokefalidis also won the appeal, but after the end of the 2011-12 season, when it didn’t matter. One important detail is that after the player’s appeal, the ban couldn’t be applied for legal reasons, until the hearing of case.
That’s why despite the FIP’s ban, nothing can be considered already decided and Hackett’s side will not just accept the decision. And at this point EA7 Milano hasn’t decided yet what will do with the player’s contract which is still valid until the summer of 2016.