Basketball: EuroLeague publishes suggestion – and remains tough

There is no solution in sight for the dispute over the newly introduced country game windows in basketball.The EuroLeague published a calendar proposal on Thursday, but did not deviate from its own position.The national teams will continue to play exclusively in the summer.

The FIBA World Association has introduced socalled game windows for qualification games, which also provide for matches in autumn and spring.But the EuroLeague, the king class in European club basketball, wants to continue playing normally during this time.

Now the EuroLeague is showing an alleged solution, the suggestion was also sent to FIBA.For example, 38 weeks a year are to be entirely dedicated to club competitions, and tournaments (EM, World Cup, etc.) or qualification matches are to be held exclusively in July.There would be hardly any difference to the present situation.

However, FIBA’s plan is to attract more attention to the national teams.The draught horses of the sport are supposed to play no longer only in the vacation months, therefore the proposal of the EuroLeague is no help.

“I think it’s a disgrace and terrible that this problem is being played out on the back of the clubs and players,”said CEO Rolf Beyer of the German champion Brose Bamberg.As things stand at present, the national team’s World Cup qualifiers overlap with matches in the EuroLeague.Bamberg is the only German EuroLeague participant.The NBA pros will also not be available in the first two of the three upcoming game windows.