By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
Patrick Baumann, the secretary general of FIBA, spoke to Italian newspaper “Gazzetta Dello Sport” and denied that FIBA intends to sanction the clubs which will play in the upcoming season in Euroleague.
In an report published in the print edition, he is quoted saying: “We can’t be slaves of a small number of clubs, even if they are respectable. If you close the doors with 10-year licenses, the base will not grow anymore. I read about sanctions, fines, penalties or suspensions for the clubs that will not enter in our competition. It won’t happen. We don’t want to make a war. We are here to build a joint project. Everything needs time and maybe we will suffer a bit before seeing the project implemented to its fullest”.
However Baumann believes that with the Euroleague and the Champions League being organized next season, there’s no place for the Eurocup: “There might be a third cup for the clubs that want an international experience during the season, but we think that there should be no Eurocup”.