By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
Jordi Bertomeu wrote an open letter to EuroLeague fans, following the news of the 2019-20 EuroLeague season cancellation, explaining the decisions taken on Monday.
His letter, as published on euroleaguebasketball.net reads:
“Dear fans,
This is the most difficult letter that I have ever had to write to you.
Due to the international pandemic that is devastating communities across the world, we have had to cancel the 2019-20 seasons in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and the 7DAYS EuroCup.
Of course, it is an extremely sad moment for all of us. It hurts even more because, thanks to you, this had been the most successful season, in all areas, of our history. We witnessed more of you cheering in our arenas and saw more of you engaging with our content than ever before. For that, we are truly thankful. Your faith inspires us to continue, as always, basing our decisions on doing what is best for the fans.
There are times when organizations are required to stay true to their beliefs. Above and beyond any other interests, we seek to protect the integrity of our competitions. To assure that, the health and safety of everyone involved in making the games great must come first – as it has in this moment. Such values are paramount, and even under trying circumstances such as these, we shall always strive to keep them front and center.
I am extremely proud of how the entire Euroleague Basketball family has reacted during this crisis. Our players, coaches, clubs and commercial partners have shown how committed they are to our communities and to the sport of basketball. We applaud all of them, as we do the many people who have been in the first line of defense against the virus. We know from you, the fans, that no one succeeds without great support, and to see the communities where we play staying united these last two months has been an especially touching reminder of the values we all share through our mutual love of this sport.
Since we suspended our competitions on March 12, you have stayed close and showed how much you wanted basketball to come back. We are saddened that, due to forces beyond our control, we could not make it happen as soon as we all wish. Nonetheless, in the upcoming months, while we focus on getting back on the court stronger than ever for the 2020-21 season, we will continue to bring you ways to enjoy this unique brand of basketball through content offerings on our communications channels.
We at Euroleague Basketball are fans at heart, just like you. We cannot wait to see the players back on the court, the games in action again, and, most importantly, hearing you cheer. Together, we will enjoy all of those moments again soon.
In the meantime, I wish all the best for each and every one of you.
Warm regards,
Jordi”