By Eurohoops team / info@eurohoops.net
The statement reads:
Euroleague Basketball acknowledges that it has received a proposal from FIBA regarding the so-called “FIBA windows” and their interference with the clubs’ domestic and international calendars. EB and its clubs appreciate that, for the first time – and despite the counter-proposals that Euroleague Basketball has presented over the years, starting in 2012 – FIBA has made a proposal.
Despite the fact that those previous EB counter-proposals were never considered or directly dismissed by FIBA, this latest FIBA proposal will be studied by the EuroLeague clubs and other stakeholders for an exhaustive evaluation. However, Euroleague Basketball wishes to comment as follows:
· The FIBA proposal does not solve the main issue of the national team windows, namely the absence of the best players during the majority of the windows. This problem remains.
· The proposal puts extra stress on players, as it would require them to play numerous games in a reduced time period without rest days and with lengthy travel in between. As an example, players might have to play up to 6 games in just 10 days during the February window, including domestic cups, EuroLeague and national team games. In addition, some of the journeys that players must undertake require as many as 30 or 40 hours of travel, and even more than 50 hours in other cases.
Euroleague Basketball and its clubs will issue a full response to FIBA’s proposal in the upcoming days and weeks, while we remain open to discussing and evaluating any other proposals that solve the main problem of the FIBA 2017 Calendar, which remains the impossibility for all players to join their national team games.
Source: Euroleague Basketball