By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
VTB United League officially announced that an agreement has been reached between its clubs and Euroleague for the next three years.
Apart from CSKA Moscow, another team will also participate in Euroleague during the next three seasons. Either as champion, or a runner-up (in case CSKA Moscow, that possesses an A license, wins the championship), this team will receive an annual B License and gain automatic entry to Euroleague.
In this way, VTB might even see two teams or perhaps more clubs participating in Euroleague, if a team from the League wins the Eurocup, for example.
Also, the third, fourth and fifth best teams at the end of the season, will participate in Eurocup. This is highly interesting especially after Andrei Kirilenko, president of the Russian Basketball Federation, saying that the FIBA Champions League looks more attractive to some major teams of the League.
Here is the announcement:
On Friday in Moscow, VTB United League clubs discussed and accepted a proposal from Euroleague Basketball, which was presented during Thursday’s meeting between Euroleague Basketball President and CEO Jordi Bertomeu, together with VTB United League management.
The 3-year agreement includes access to the Euroleague and Eurocup competitions for the 2016-17, 2017-18 and 2018-19 seasons. VTB United League will receive one annual B Licence to the Euroleague which will go to the champion or runner-up (if A Licence holder CSKA Moscow becomes champion) of the VTB United League playoffs. In addition VTB United League will receive a minimum of three annual spots in the Eurocup over the same three seasons for its next three best teams in the league (for example, teams finishing in 3rd, 4th and 5th place at the end of the season).
The Euroleague Basketball proposal was accepted by a majority of votes from the Board of the VTB United League.