The absence of Russian basketball clubs from the Euroleague is hurting the tournament itself, the VTB United League president told . Sergei Kushchenko .
On July 4, the Euroleague board extended the suspension of Russian clubs for next season.
– The Euroleague decision was expected, there are no surprises here. The Euroleague is a commercial competition and, unlike tennis, it adheres to its own philosophy: this tournament has more politics in decision-making.
This decision will mainly affect Russian clubs in terms of squad formation, as it will be more difficult for them to attract top foreign players who would prefer to continue their careers at Euroleague clubs. But for Russian basketball itself and for Russian players, this is another chance to prove themselves. As the previous season showed, the intrigue in the VTB League championship will only intensify. We saw this in the playoffs: the series of semi-finals turned out to be magnificent and unpredictable, the League got a new champion – UNICS from Kazan. All this is the flip side of the decision that for the second year our clubs are suspended from European competitions.
The Euroleague itself, as a commercial competition, is experiencing difficulties – a significant burden falls on the budget of the participating clubs. An illustrative example is Gran Canaria, the Eurocup champions, who refused to participate in the Euroleague, because it is too expensive for them to pay.
As a result, it turns out that the non-participation of Russian clubs is negative for the Euroleague itself. After all, the tournament is losing strong clubs with big budgets and sponsor support, something the Euroleague is so lacking right now, Kushchenko told .
Source : MatchTV
My name is Adam Jackson and I am an author. I have been writing about Basketball games for over a decade now and am excited to share my knowledge with you all. Additionally, I am also interested in other sports and enjoy discussing them with others. Contact me if you want to discuss any Basketball-related topics!
