The need for better criteria to participate in the Eurocup
Covid-19 aggravated and made more visible the problems of European basketball. Between them the lack of profitability for the clubs involved in all the competitions, the shortage of money from the sponsors, the battle between FIBA and Euroleague and so on.
Yesterday, Djoko Pavicevic, president of Mornar, reacted on the EuroCup list of participants with tough words, because his team was not included and he didn’t understand why. Which are the criteria of the admission in this European competition? Because the rankings in the domestic league isn’t a factor at all. The best examples are Bahcesehir and Bursaspor, mediocre teams that will be there next season representing Turkey while powerhouses like Pinar Karsiyaka, Turk Telekom, Galatasaray, Darussafaka and Tofas have joined BasketballCL.
The need for better criteria to participate in the Eurocup is vital if Euroleague board don’t want to lose the meaning of the competition. At the moment it looks like they are invited desperately the “friends of the house” to join Eurocup in order to stop de bleeding caused by the departure of many other teams to FIBA competitions. The level of Eurocup is lower than in the past and this can be seen by far, but still, they have some good clubs like Unicaja, Lokomotiv Kuban, Unics Kazan, AS Monaco and so on. Mornar Bar was at the limit between Eurocup and BasketabllCL. The club from Montenegro activated in the past years in both competitions and they need – and we need too – to understand how the clubs are chosen to be part of the Eurocup.
Without transparency and solid criteria, there is nothing to be built in the long term in European basketball. This has to be learned by all the basketball organizations, from Euroleague to FIBA Europe and other minor leagues. Solid principles are the most important element for sustainability and future growth. An they have to be applied also for the small clubs like Mornar Bar. They are part of the European basketball family like any other club.
Image: Basketball Champions League
Gratian Cormos
