By Aris Barkas/ barkas@eurohoops.net
BEIJING – During a long and more than interesting press conference that covered every possible topic about world basketball, from the Olympics to the rule differences, to the NBA and of course the FIBA World Cup, FIBA secretary general Andreas Zagklis also tackled the EuroLeague issue.
When asked by Eurohoops about the possibility of initiating talks again after the recent “peace offering” of the EuroLeague, Zagklis answer was the following: “You used a war terminology, and since December I have used a different approach in the whole matter. There are of course disagreements, but we are all one basketball family, and at some point, we have to sit down on the same table, approach the topics in good faith and be all ready to make sacrifices”.
Even if in principle there’s an ideological clash between the EuroLeague, a private league, and FIBA, Zagklis is a realist: “As I repeated two and a half weeks ago in the FIBA Congress, our goal is the growth of the sport all over the Globe. And even if by a principle we are not so susceptible to closing leagues or markets, we have to do what’s the best for the growth of the sport. It’s an important league, and in the next month or so I guess we will have to hear what our colleagues are thinking about the future”.
It remains to see if the two sides will sit again on the same table and what will be the result of that.