By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Beyond money owed to the state, Partizan Mozzart Bet has cleared accumulated debts towards players and coaches.
In Belgrade, team president Ostoja Mijailovic held a press conference to confirm achieved financial stability on Thursday.
“This is a historic moment for us,” noted 45-year-old Mijailovic, president of Partizan since 2017, “We don’t owe anyone anything.”
The next step can be securing a three-year license to solidify the position of the club in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague.
“We want to prove ourselves to Euroleague Basketball as a safe partner,” he said, “We started this season with financial stability and we are very ambitious.”
In late September, he confirmed the annual budget at 23 million euros.
Combining the continental league with the AdmiralBet ABA League, Partizan intends to remain part of the competition.
“When the ABA was founded, Partizan was not in the league. It held a strong position in the KLS and the EuroLeague,” Mijailovic referred to the Belgrade outfit joining ABA in 2004 for the fourth edition of the league, “We did not want to support a regional project. Due to pressure from ABA officials on the EuroLeague, Partizan was blackmailed to join the Adriatic League to play in Europe. We were the last to enter, but we will also be the last to leave. I see no reason for the ABA to close down. It is the second-most watched league in Europe, it makes a real profit, and it will be ready to distribute to the clubs.”
Photo Credit: EuroleagueBasketball.net