By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
After a season without teams in Eurocup, Italy is the first major basketball country from those that picked the Basketball Champions League that returns to the Euroleague owned competition.
As the president of Legabasket Egidio Bianchi said today to the biggest Italian sport publication “Gazzetta Dello Sport” the decision is already made. As Bianchi confirmed: “We want to look ahead. I spoke with Euroleague CEO Jordi Bertomeu. The Serie A is considered one of the major domestic championships, the three “defections” of our clubs this year have no effect. According to the current formula, we will have a spot in the Euroleague (ed.note: which belongs to EA7 Emporio Armani Milano) and two in Eurocup and we will try to get one of the three wildcards that the competition has”.
This decision is part of a total reform proposal for the Italian basketball, which will allow seven non Italian players in each Legabasket roster and will set criteria like a gym of 5000 seats for every playoffs game.
Until something changes France, Greece, Serbia and Turkey remain the only other major basketball countries without a team in Eurocup.