By Kostas Giataganas/ info@eurohoops.net
EuroLeague CEO Jordi Bertomeu and FIBA secretary-general Andreas Zagklis met in the stands of OAKA during the “Pavlos Giannakopoulos” tournament and for the first time had the chance to shake hands and exchange a few words.
It was a symbolic gesture as both sides seem ready to engage in talks; however, according to Eurohoops sources, there’s not a scheduled meeting between them on this matter.
However, after many years of “cold war” there are clear indications from both sides that they want to find a way of collaborating and put in the past the rift between the international basketball federation and the biggest continental league in Europe.
Time will tell if this meeting in Athens will end up being the start of the end in the FIBA-EuroLeague debate. Zagklis also honored the Giannakopoulos family by presenting to Panathinaikos’ president Dimitris Giannakopoulos the framed score-sheet of the 2000 Euroleague final, in which Panathinaikos beat Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv in Thessaloniki.
That was the last year that EuroLeague was organized by FIBA and not by the clubs, which take part in the competition.