Olimpia Milano head coach and president of basketball operations Ettore Messina voiced skepticism about the EuroLeague’s upcoming salary cap, calling its announcement premature and lacking clarity.
Speaking to Basket Zone in comments published by Iacopo De Santis of Pianetabasket.com, Messina acknowledged the need to manage costs but criticized the current approach as incomplete and potentially problematic.
The EuroLeague is expected to implement Financial Fair Play and a soft salary cap beginning with the 2025–26 season.
Recent high-profile contract renewals, including Kendrick Nunn’s extension with Panathinaikos and Kevin Punter’s deal with Barcelona, have already sparked debate over whether the cap rules will be effective.
“There is a need to contain costs,” Messina said. “The cost of players has skyrocketed over the last decade, especially with fewer American players coming over. This isn’t a matter of whether players deserve their salaries, but rather a reality we must face.”
Messina pointed out that the NBA’s success in securing higher revenues allowed it to absorb the rising costs of player contracts, something European leagues have yet to replicate. “The NBA solved this issue by finding ever-increasing resources, with the latest incredible TV deal,” Messina continued. “We haven’t been able to do that.”
He emphasized that unlike the NBA, EuroLeague clubs often rely on ownership backing rather than organic revenue to stay competitive.
This creates an uneven playing field, Messina explained, where some teams can afford to overspend while others are forced to stick strictly to budget constraints.
Messina called for a fairer structure, proposing that all teams begin with equal resources and allow only limited spending beyond that baseline—ideally regulated by a luxury tax model.
“The ideal scenario would be to have a distribution of resources where each team starts from the same base. Then, teams willing to spend more could pay a luxury tax, but only up to a certain limit,” he said.
Otherwise, he cautioned, the league risks stagnation and increased disparity between wealthy and less-resourced clubs.
His comments add to a growing list of critics pushing back against the EuroLeague’s financial reform plans.
Last year, influential agent Misko Raznatovic called the proposed salary cap “the worst ever.” He argued that imposing restrictions without matching the NBA’s structural advantages—such as its monopoly on top-tier talent—could drive elite players toward better-paying leagues in Asia or Australia.
He also questioned the rationale for limiting salaries in a market where competition for top talent is already fierce.
Messina, however, focused less on player movement and more on systemic financial inefficiency within European basketball.
He concluded that while discussion around cost control is ongoing, a realistic solution remains distant.
