Euroleague, FIBA Europe and FIBA World reach agreement on joint working principles

[Black Urum]

via http://www.talkbasket.net

Euroleague, FIBA Europe and FIBA World have reached an agreement on a list of joint working principles intended to improve and consolidate the future of European club basketball.

As a result of the debate on the new Euroleague project, both Euroleague and FIBA Europe have established points of agreement for the future of European basketball, recognising that now is the right time to institutionalize changes in the top European competitions, particularly in the Euroleague. These changes seek to allow for greater institutional links between clubs, leagues and federations. The agreement states that European basketball needs to make changes so as to improve its current situation in the sporting marketplace, changes that include reducing the number of European basketball club competitions by 2012, increasing cooperation between Euroleague and FIBA Europe, and creating joint policies and regulations across all European competitions. Both Euroleague and FIBA Europe would like to open a debate among the national federations and leagues with the following aims: to adjust the number of participating clubs in the top domestic divisions to the competitive possibilities, to the needs of the sporting calendar and, especially, to the new global economic situation; to ensure that clubs run their affairs in an economically sustainable manner; and to put in place appropriate control mechanisms at the international and national levels.

Both parties are satisfied with the agreement that has been reached and strongly back the cooperation between all European basketball institutions to allow a greater balance in the sporting structures. In Euroleague's case, it would allow for more countries and national champions to participate in the top basketball competition.