By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
Several reasons leading to the decision to leave the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and move the team to the Basketball Champions League were shared by Dr. Axel Schweitzer.
The team president presented his views on financial issues in a post on LinkedIn on Thursday.
“Imagine running a business that loses over €200 million a year continuously – and calling it success.
That’s the current reality for EuroLeague basketball clubs.
Collectively, the 18 participating teams burn through staggering sums annually, with no sustainable financial model in sight. Winning games doesn’t change the structural problem: the system simply doesn’t fund itself.
This isn’t meant to criticise. It’s an observation. One that makes me reflect on how we can do things differently.
At ALBA BERLIN Basketball team, we are building systems that are not dependent on constant external financial injections. Our goal: ALBA BERLIN should be an institution lasting for the next hundred years and more. That’s why we’ve been creating a self-sustaining model: one where success on the court is paired with financial responsibility off it. One where long-term impact matters more than short-term prestige.
Yes, we may win or lose individual games (despite our ambition and motivation winning every game we play) – that’s the nature of sport. But structurally, we are building something different. Something that can outlast a single season or sponsorship deal.”
The team based in the capital and largest city of Germany was a member of Euroleague Basketball competitions since the 2000-01 season.
Photo Credit: EuroleagueBasketball.net