The challenges that the economic crisis will bring to the European basketball
One of the most important changes that Coronavirus will bring for the next season it will be the reduced budgets for the teams. Some effects are visible already, CSKA for instance, lost last days an important sponsor which means millions of euros and their own private jet for the games. Other teams as well are losing money and sponsors every minute. So the cut of some expenses will be more than necessary. Let’s see what I think will happen in the near future, including here the next season:
- the teams will release some of their players, lighting their rosters. FC Barcelona and Anadolu Efes are thinking already to make some cuts. The Catalan club will have only 13 players instead of 15 for the next Euroleague season.
- signing more homegrown players will be a cheaper and sustainable solution for the clubs. This was always the best idea, but many of the teams ignored it but now they have to wake up and invest more resources in their local talents instead of buying expensive players from abroad.
- many clubs will freely relegate in lower divisions. It’s happening already in Germany where a couple of teams asked already the Basketball Federation to be allowed to do so.
- the economic crisis post Coronavirus will affect as well many clubs in Turkey. Even before this, some clubs were living more with promises than real money. It’s not only about the giant teams like Fenerbahce that according to the news it seems they have “forgot” to pay their players since December 2019. It’s about Bandirma, Besiktas and many other traditional clubs that were already in financial problems that will increase now.
- only 20-30 big clubs with a tradition in Europe with huge sponsors will be able to survive with dignity in these circumstances. Even if their financial capacities will be affected a lot, they will continue to be there, maintaining the shadow of the past glory. Many other clubs will simply disappear.
Photo: Basketball Champions League
Gratian Cormos
