By Antigoni Zachari / info@eurohoops.net
Director of FC Barcelona’s basketball department Josep Cubells stands in favor of Jordi Bertomeu and EuroLeague Basketball’s current operation model, as he stated in a recent interview with Marc Mundet on RAC1.
Cubells’ interview came shortly after reports on Spanish media stating that the NBA and FIBA have been in talks for the creation of NBA Europe, which were dismissed both by FIBA sources and EuroLeague Basketball with an official statement Friday.
“We have a friendly relation with NBA and FIBA. But we don’t have any knowledge about becoming a subsidiary of another organization. We want an organization that puts European basketball at the top level and this means not relying on anyone”, commented Cubells.
Recently, the EuroLeague Board met in Barcelona without CEO Jordi Bertomeu, to discuss the future of the league, while it’s also been known that ECA shareholders have initiated the search for a new CEO for EuroLeague Basketball. Though nothing is concrete at this point, this move means that the current season is expected to be the last for Bertomeu as the CEO of the organization.
Cubells took a clear stance on the matter, supporting Bertomeu. “All changes can happen, but Jordi Bertomeu has the Euroleague in his head. He has been the CEO of a successful format and we trust him. The EuroLeague is a successful competition. Things can be improved? sure. Are we going through hard times? Sure. But we need to move forward and his spirit must continue”.
“There are clubs that want to take a step back and go back to a model where we are not making the decisions in European Basketball. We don’t participate in that. We believe in the spirit that EuroLeague was incepted”, says the Barcelona Director adding that changes may come: “We are looking forward to an improvement of the Executive Direction in Euroleague”.