By Cesare Milanti / info@eurohoops.net
BERLIN, Germany – The EuroLeague Final Four has provided good action on the court so far, but things went completely unplanned off the court before the first game of the day.
A group of violent fans stormed into the Uber Arena through the main entrance, causing chaos that eventually led to both games being delayed to permit fans to ultimately make it to the stands.
In the press conference held on the eve of the EuroLeague Final between Real Madrid and Panathinaikos, Paulius Motiejunas first started by addressing the incidents. “Not the start we wanted. The process quickly went out of our hands. The police got in the way and got everything under control but it took time”, the EuroLeague CEO opened.
“We postponed the game but the main priority was the safety of our fans, which we managed to guarantee. Hopefully, tomorrow will be a much easier and better day. A lot of things to learn, but it won’t be the subject of the Final Four”, he said. “We are aware of the situation we were talking about. It was the reaction for safety. It won’t happen tomorrow. Is it the outcome we wanted? No. Will we be better? Yes”, Paulius Motiejunas followed.
In the past few days, a lot of conversations have been flowing within the basketball community about potentially changing the format of the Final Four to a playoff series, like in the NBA. “No”, the EuroLeague CEO quickly answered when asked about this topic, before going into more details.
“We see a sea of red, of green. It’s something we can’t get if we are always in the same place. EuroLeague Final Four is the tip of the iceberg, the cherry on the cake. We love the format. That’s the beauty of the Euroleague, that’s what we do. Even the cities that don’t have teams can host this wonderful event, it’s something we don’t want to leave”, the Lithuanian manager analyzed.
In an environment in which fewer and fewer young players have the opportunity to play and emerge, Paulius Motiejunas addressed one of the problems related to the huge amount of money offered to prospects when it comes to other leagues, like in college.
“What’s happening now it’s turning upside down. What the NCAA is offering now it’s completely nuts and breaks the market. Now it’s a wild west. To get this salary and this money at 18 it’s always a risk. Only the strong emotional guys can handle this popularity and this money. I hope the storm will go out”, he added.
Another topic discussed during the press conference was related to the potential merging of the EuroCup and the Basketball Champions League. “This is also on the table with FIBA. I don’t see a quick solution. The thing we agreed on is that there are too many International competitions. How we get them together is the next step. It’s a work in progress”, he commented over the matter.
Ultimately, the goal is to have more games and shows to entertain the EuroLeague fans. “All-Star Game, Cup, pre-season tournament: all of this is on the table. I’m not a big fan of the All-Star Game, but if it helps the product, we will present it to the clubs”, Paulius Motiejunas added.
Asked about doing the opposite, which is lowering the games in order to provide an ultimately better product, he openly disagreed. “How do we get the fans to enjoy the best basketball? EuroLeague is the No.2 basketball league in the world. Our goal is not to make fewer games, but more. We won’t back down and say “We want fewer games”. We want to play more”, he stated.
PHOTO CREDIT: Turkish Airlines EuroLeague