By Antigoni Zachari / info@eurohoops.net
Frutti Extra Bursaspor, the 2021-22 7DAYS EuroCup runner-ups, could be among the teams to be considered for participation in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague next season, though at the moment this is not an easy task, as the team’s GM Nedim Yucel admitted in an interview to local media “Bursada Bugun”.
“If a EuroLeague invitation comes, it will be accepted by our management and sponsor,” said Yucel, but noted that the expenses will be too much for Bursaspor to handle without the addition of an extra sponsor.
“Let’s face it, the EuroLeague is a very expensive event. We can’t afford to play. It is necessary to find an extra sponsor or extra sponsors. Especially if an invitation comes, then we all sit down and discuss. Seems like a tough prospect to me. The risk of playing there is just great. If we look at the examples of Galatasaray, Pınar Karsiyaka, and Darussafaka, when they were left out at the end of a season, they could not recover for a few years in economic terms”.
In July 2021, ECA Shareholders approved a change in the minimum budget for participation in the EuroLeague, rising from €5.4M to €7M for the 2022-23 season onward, a hefty budget for the Turkish team.
“Let’s admit that as Bursaspor, we climbed the stairs very quickly and with running steps. It is best to keep our feet firmly on the ground,” added Yucel.
Photo credit: EuroCup