By Eurohoops Team/ info@eurohoops.net
The annual pre-season meeting of Euroleague Basketball officials was held in Thessaloniki.
Euroleague Basketball shared additional details on Thursday.
Per the press release: “Euroleague Basketball successfully hosted its 26th Pre-Season Clinic for Officials at The Met Hotel in Thessaloniki, gathering referees, coaches, and league representatives for four days of high-level training and preparation.
This year’s clinic brought together 70 referees, including 5 newcomers — Arnau Padrós (Spain), Ioannis Tiganis (Greece), Can Mavisu (Turkey), Kerem Baki (Turkey), and Franko Gracin (Croatia) — alongside 15 referee coaches. Among them was Carmelo Paternico (Italy), who finished his career as a Euroleague Basketball referee last season and joined the EB Referee Coaches list for 2025–26.
The event was attended by prominent figures including Euroleague Basketball President Dejan Bodiroga, former Senior Director and Officiating Scouting & Recruitment Supervisor Costas Rigas, EA7 Emporio Armani Milan head coach Ettore Messina, EuroLeague Head Coaches Board President Dimitris Itoudis, Executive Director Goran Sasic, EuroLeague Players’ Association Operations Manager Anze Blazic, Officiating Sports Psychologist Mar Rovira, Officiating Physical Conditioning & Training Coach Gianluca Mazzoncini, and Sportradar Head of Integrity Education Andrew Whittingham.
Under the leadership of Daniel Hierrezuelo, in his third clinic as Director of Officiating, participants reviewed the latest rule interpretations, IRS protocols, and officiating mechanics, complemented by fitness testing, integrity sessions, video analysis, and teamwork workshops. Breakout sessions focused on topics including travelling, illegal contact, screens, faking, and teamwork psychology.
The clinic closed on Sunday with a presentation by Costas Rigas and final remarks from Hierrezuelo, followed by optional IRS practice sessions.
The clinic once again reaffirmed Euroleague Basketball’s commitment to developing officiating standards and ensuring referees are fully prepared for the new season.”