By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Crvena Zvezda president Nebojsa Covic said that EuroLeague is working towards implementing a salary cap ahead of the new season. The boss of Red Star also mentioned that the league suggested to clubs to not proceed with any new signings.
“I have to tell you that EuroLeague gave a suggestion to stop with the signing of new contracts. Because it seems that a salary cap is in the making and we don’t want to do anything under the table,” Covic said in an interview with Serbian network B92.
In the same interview, Covic revealed that if the current EuroLeague season doesn’t resume, then the 2020-2021 edition of the competition will feature the same teams as 2019-2020.
“If it [2019-2020] season doesn’t continue, then this season will be written in the registry and will be repeated in the following season,” Covic said. “I’m sorry that this may be sad news for some, but that’s right. We were also many times first in ABA at the end of the regular season but didn’t win it. But we haven’t finished the league yet.”
According to EuroLeague’s allocation criteria, the ABA League champion has a priority for one of the four annual wild cards. The ABA championship was suspended with one game remaining for the completion of the regular season and Partizan Belgrade having secured the top spot at 17-4. Buducnost was second with a 15-6 record, Red Star third at 14 – 7 while Cedevita Olimpija and Mornar Bar were tied at the fourth place with a 13-8 record.
“I’d like Zvezda and Partizan to be in EuroLeague and another club, if possible. I have nothing against it. Our region deserves two clubs in EuroLeague. We’ll see,” Covic said. “If EuroLeague continues, it’ll continue with the format of the last six remaining games and the top eight teams playing in a Final Eight tournament. Then the Final Four will be played from there. Everything should be finished by July 26, 27.”