By Alex Molina/ info@eurohoops.net
The Basketball Arbitral Tribunal, BAT, ordered AEK Betsson to recompense Joan Plaza with 110,000 euros plus interest for unpaid salaries toward the 60-year-old Spanish coach.
The independent body recognized by FIBA to resolve disputes between players, agents, coaches, and clubs added required payments to agents and to cover court expenses amounting to 16,000 euros.
Following his departure from the Greek club, Plaza described the financial situation impacting himself and the players during his stint.
“They were late two months in payment for me and the American players, four months for the Greek players, and seven months for the staff. And they were expecting the same, being paid or not being paid,” he said in an interview with Esports BDN.
The response from AEK included legal actions which were rejected by the court.
Before the 2023-24 season, the Barcelona native inked a two-year contract to take over head-coaching responsibilities at the storied Athens outfit. However, he was dismissed midway through the season following poor results in the Basketball Champions League and Greece’s Stoiximan Basket League.
Working for several high-profile teams, the coaching career of Plaza extended from Real Madrid to Coosur Real Betis / Cajasol Banca Civica, Zalgiris, Unicaja, and Zenit. He became a two-time EuroCup champion between spells with Madrid and Unicaja. Additional success went to domestic league championships in Spain with Los Blancos and in Lithuanian with Zalgiris.
AEK clears bans
On a related note, AEK successfully cleared all seven bans imposed by FIBA. According to the most recent update on BAT, the outstanding cases regarding settlements and delayed payments have been settled. Therefore, all summer signings are eligible to play from the top of the Champions League and Stoiximan GBL campaigns.