By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
The forty-six European member federations of FIBA that gathered in Nicosia, Cyprus on Saturday for the annual FIBA Europe General Assembly adopted a declaration emphasizing the fundamental role of national team basketball and the national championships as part of the European sports pyramid and condemning all recent actions of Euroleague Commercial Assets (ECA).
The text of the declaration is the following:
The National Basketball Federations attending the General Assembly of FIBA Europe in Nicosia, Cyprus on May 26, 2018 discussed, among others, the recent decisions of Euroleague Commercial Assets (ECA) and how they affect European basketball and unanimously adopted a declaration by which they:
Underline the unique capability of national teams to unite the fans, bring the popularity of basketball to new levels and help new talents emerge;
Emphasize the fundamental role of national championships as part of the European sports pyramid;
Highlight the need for harmonious co-existence between club and national team competitions, based on the worldwide calendar decided by FIBA, the governing body of basketball;
Condemn the decision of Euroleague Commercial Assets (ECA) to schedule Euroleague games on the same day and time as the FIBA Basketball World Cup Qualifiers, placing the players in an unfair situation and ethical dilemma;
Reject the actions of Euroleague clubs, who failed to comply with their duty to release players to national teams and thus improperly influenced sporting results;
Stress the value of promotion/relegation rules in club competitions, which provide the chance for every club to reach the top international competition based on its sporting performance domestically, as opposed to the closed Euroleague system;
Endorse the access criteria based on sporting results and the transparent procedures adopted by the Basketball Champions League;
Discard as unacceptable the “proposal” of ECA dated March 1, 2018;
Confirm their readiness to use all available remedies in protecting their national teams, the national championships and the integrity of their respective competitions;
Welcome the statements of the Ministers of Sport at the recent Education, Youth, Culture and Sport Council, and urge the European governments and the competent bodies of the European Union to hold ECA accountable for its actions against national teams and the European model of sport, which have a negative impact on sport throughout Europe and in particular other team sports.
Photo credit: FIBA