By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Following the team’s decision attached to protests and opting to skip the 2022 Playoffs of the Basketball League of Serbia, Partizan Mozzart Bet will also miss the 2023 edition for an entirely different reason.
The team based in Belgrade failed to register players ahead of the deadline set on 24 April, as reported by Sportski Zurnal and confirmed by Mozzart Sport via league sources. Actually registering the squad members on 29 April, the Basketball Federation of Serbia ruled against approving participation.
At the bottom end of the 2021-22 campaign and in the aftermath of the AdmiralBet ABA League Finals’ numerous incidents, Partizan opted to withdraw participation seeking to kick hooliganism out of basketball, as stressed in the press release issued last June.
In accordance with the format of recent years, Serbia’s top-tier division was contested without the ABA League teams throughout most of the 2022-23 season and until the current stage. FMP Soccerbet, Mega MIS, and Borac Mozzart joined the five top teams of the Regular Season. Before being barred from entry, Partizan was scheduled to get in the mix along with crosstown rival Crvena Zvezda Meridianbet in the next round with a direct ticket to the Semifinals.
Sweeping FMP Meridian in last season’s best-of-three championship series, Crvena Zvezda became a seven-time defending champion capturing all domestic league titles awarded since 2015. All eight remaining Serbian League championships went to Partizan with its own streak stretching from the inaugural 2007-08 season to 2014.
Photo Credit: EuroleagueBasketball.net