By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
The EuroLeague expansion is more than possible, Serbia is one of the most important basketball countries, and it makes more than sense to imagine that Partizan and Crvena Zvezda will be part of the competition’s future.
The presence of EuroLeague CEO Paulius Motiejunas in Dubai for the game of the local team, which can also be a EuroLeague candidate, with Partizan sparked speculation about a long-term license of the Serbian club in the competition.
As Motiejunas said recently on the matter in Mozzartsport: “At the moment, we are not thinking about changing the system. We have 13 long-term members (clubs with an A license) and at the moment we are not talking about such an expansion. However, we definitely follow what the Belgrade teams are doing both with the fans and in terms of results. We are very pleased that they are part of the Euroleague. Both teams have been together for some time, we hope that it will remain so in the coming seasons.”
Partizan president Ostoja Mijailovic added to that with a post on his social media, explaining the status of his club in the EuroLeague ecosystem.
As he said: “Over the past year, I have had meetings with many owners or presidents of clubs that hold ownership stakes in the EuroLeague. Each of them believes that we have managed to earn their trust, and today they see us as a long-term partner. The stabilization of the Club, which we have been working on for years, is now clearly visible. Partizan has no debt and fulfills all its obligations on time. With the system we have built, a strong management team, experienced professionals on our coaching staff with decades of EuroLeague experience, and stands full of our passionate fans, we are on the verge of securing a multi-year contract to compete in Europe’s top basketball competition. I am extremely proud that we have managed to transform what was once an almost defunct club—one of the greatest basketball brands in our region—into one of the most stable basketball organizations in Europe”.