By Cesare Milanti/ info@eurohoops.net
KAUNAS, Lithuania – The EuroLeague Head Coaches Board presented the 2023 Coaches Congress in the EuroLeague Final Four, at Kaunas with vice-president Giannis Sfairopoulos being present.
Per the press release: EuroLeague Head Coaches Board vice-president Giannis Sfairopoulos is present in Kaunas and together with executive director Goran Sasic they presented the EHCB Coaches Congress which will be held for the second straight year in Antalya, Turkey, inviting everyone involved in basketball to participate.
This year the meetings between the EuroLeague and the EuroCup coaches with the referees will be held in Antalya and not in Barcelona for the first time, a move which was hailed as a sign of respect by coach Sfairopoulos: “We started our board four years ago under then-president Zeljko Obradovic and vice-president Pablo Laso because we wanted our voice to be heard. We believe that this is the case now with our cooperation with CEO Marshall Glickman and President Dejan Bodiroga”.
“In Antalya, we will have not only nine on-court masterclasses but also three panels which will include a discussion with EuroLeague management, EuroLeague referees, and our members, plus a EuroLeague official giving his own masterclass for the first time and teaching about officiating”, added Mr. Sasic explaining that “we adapted our schedule according to the feedback we got from last year’s participants and this is also a great opportunity for family vacations for all who will travel to join the Congress”.
You can check the full schedule and register for the Congress which is expected to be a unique experience.
Coach Sfairopoulos also addressed a number of issues, including the relationship between FIBA and EuroLeague, which he considers improved, noting the fact that four EHCB members – president Dimitris Itoudis, Sergio Scariolo, Ergin Ataman, Kazys Maksvytis – are also national team coaches and that’s why a solution on the scheduling issues must be found.
“There must be a solution to the issue and we are working towards this direction”, said Sfairopoulos who also addressed the fact that the EHCB is meeting and cooperating also with ELPA (players union), UEBO (referees union) and ESCAA (Euroleague Strength & Conditioning Coaches Association),
He also tackled the issue of young talent, stressing the need for young local players to find minutes in the domestic leagues, but also adding that in some cases, prospects can also be developed in the really competitive EuroLeague environment: “I had this experience when I coached Deni Avdija in Maccabi and he made it to the NBA. There’s the example of Luka Doncic. So you can’t say that there’s one simple answer to the issue and depends on the case”.
As for the final between Real Madrid and Olympiacos, the former coach of Reds mentioned that compared to the past and the final of 2015, which he coached and lost in Madrid: “I think that both teams have very experienced players and the chances are really 50%-50%. Compared to the 2015 final, however, a lot of things have changed plus then we played at their home court in Madrid”.
Eurohoops will be once more the media partner of the EHCB Coaches Congress.