By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Octagon Europe Senior Directors David Carro, Marko Jelic and George Panou issued a joint statement on the decision of EuroLeague’s Financial Panel to extend Crvena Zvezda’s player-registration ban that prevents Octagon client Facu Campazzo from playing in the competition until March. The statement is co-signed by Claudio Villanueva, Campazzo’s Argentinian agent.
The statement is as follows:
“As one of the leading sports agencies, we were asked last summer, along with our top colleagues, to work with ELPA in order to finalize the new EuroLeague CBA, in order to give full protection for the players and make transparent the obligations of all parties. The players are the cornerstone of the game and basketball exists because of them.
The decision of EuroLeague’s financial panel is essentially punishing Facundo Campazzo the most, as he will be unable to play and give the EuroLeague fans one more top name to enjoy, upgrading the competition. In our humble opinion, the fine should have been stricter towards the concrete part committing the breach, not creating collateral damages to the most sacred part of our game and industry: the player.
In this case, the resolution of the EuroLeague financial panel is losing sight of what is important. The players and the sport itself. They can impose any type of fine or penalty on any club. Preventing a player of this level from playing the game is a decision that doesn’t help the EuroLeague and it’s a sign in the wrong direction.”