The EuroLeague shareholders’ meeting will take place on Monday in Istanbul. An increasingly compact front is forming, with 11 clubs having already signed or about to sign the new ten-year license. The strategy for confronting NBA Europe and FIBA will be further developed — and it’s not just theoretical anymore.
The EuroLeague shareholders’ meeting will be held on Monday in Instabul. An increasingly compact front with 11 clubs that have signed, or will sign, the new ten-year licence. The strategy of confrontation with NBA Europe and FIBA will then be developed, and it is not to be… pic.twitter.com/OcbC2nGA6o
— Alessandro Luigi Maggi (@AlessandroMagg4) April 26, 2025
State of Play
Talking about “serenity” would be misleading. Just this Friday morning, Panathinaikos owner Dimitris Giannakopoulos harshly attacked EuroLeague following a controversial officiating decision at the end of Game 2 between Panathinaikos and Efes, reverting to the old rhetoric of a so-called “EuroLeague Mafia.”
Meanwhile, Real Madrid and Barcelona continue their battle against sports institutions, both in football and basketball.
Meanwhile, the other shareholders have already made their choice: one after another, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, Zalgiris Kaunas, ASVEL, Baskonia, Anadolu Efes, Maccabi Tel Aviv, CSKA Moscow, and Olimpia Milano have signed the new EuroLeague ten-year license. Fenerbahce is also expected to join soon.
According to information gathered by Sportando and ROM, there are no longer any major doubts on this front. Monday’s meeting will therefore serve to reaffirm this — almost — united front and to further refine the strategy of engagement with FIBA and NBA Europe. In short, at the end of April, with a potential new project aiming for launch in the summer of 2026, it is time to lay all cards on the table.
What Does FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis Really Have?
Sovereign wealth funds? Confirmed support from Real Madrid and Barcelona? Perhaps also PSG? London? Dubai? Abu Dhabi? It remains to be clarified — with no hypotheses excluded.
Is it really possible to launch a new league without the historical giants of European basketball? Without clear affirmative answers, Real Madrid and Barcelona might eventually have to fall back into line, waiting for better timing, just as they did in football. But at what cost to the climate of European sport?
Meanwhile, the debate around next season’s format remains extremely hot: 18 or 20 teams? Expanding to 20 would clarify the future of clubs such as the Serbian teams, Virtus Bologna, Dubai, Alba Berlin, and Valencia (although at least one would likely still miss out). However, according to our sources, many EuroLeague shareholders remain skeptical about moving to a double-conference system — the only real solution to avoid overloading the international calendar with a 38-game regular season.
After Monday, we might finally have a first answer. European basketball is defining its future direction. The EuroLeague vs FIBA confrontation must now enter a new phase — the phase of showing all cards.
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