By Nikos Varlas/ varlas@eurohoops.net
Karsiyaka is ready to enter the “big dance” of Euroleague. Today in Barcelona the league is meeting in order to decide among other things for the wildcards which will be given and the Turkish champions are in. The wildcards in total are five, since the C license of Eurocup winner Khimki became also a wildcard after the team’s qualification to VTB finals.
The teams which are considered the favorites to get a wildcard are Bayern Munich for Germany, Strasbourg from France, Lokomotiv Kuban from Russian and Dogus Darrusafaka from Turkey. Karsiyaka is ready to present a budget of more than four millions euros guaranteed by the sponsor company Pinar, a plan of past debts settlement and also the move to the “Halkapinar Spor Salonu” with a capacity of 10.000 seats. The main issue for the club and its Euroleague participation is its past debts.
With those debts settled, the door is open and Turkey can get two wildcards out of five, leaving out the Israeli champions Hapoel Jerusalem.