By Panagiotis Vlachos / info@eurohoops.net
The new EuroLeague CEO, Chus Bueno, visited Greece, where the upcoming Final Four will be held, and also attended the Greek derby between Olympiacos and Panathinaikos.
Before the game, he spoke to NOVA TV addresing all open issues of the competition.
First and foremost, the question is whether the EuroLeague can collaborate with the NBA in the project of NBA Europe.
“The answer is yes”, said Bueno, “We have a three-year plan as the Euroleague that we presented to the shareholders on how we will grow the product. We spoke with Mark Tatum and Giorgos Aivazoglou, and I told them that I believe it would be better for both of us to collaborate. They have made a plan, but looking further ahead, it would be good for us to collaborate. Both will lose value if we do something special, so they need to enter the European basketball ecosystem, and we all benefit.”
Speaking about the rumors on PAOK joining the EuroLeague, Bueno confirmed the report of Eurohoops on the matter: “I did not discuss their entry into the Euroleague. We had discussions with people from PAOK, but on different issues. It is a team that has new ownership, and they have big ambitions, but what is true is that you play in the EuroCup, you win the EuroCup, and you play in the Euroleague”.
Chus Bueno was also asked about the future of the Israeli teams and Dubai and confirmed that they will stay outside of the Middle East, finishing the season playing home games in the Balkans: “First and foremost, the important thing is everyone’s safety. Hapoel, Maccabi, and Dubai will move away from their countries until the end of the season. We are talking with them, and we are waiting for everyday life to return to normal and decide how we will move in the new season”.
The new CEO also expressed his satisfaction with the huge demand for Final Four tickets and praised the local organization committee, which he had met earlier.
Speaking also about the future of the competition and next season’s format, Bueno confirmed that nothing is decided yet: “We are collecting information, we are processing it. We do not know yet what the format will be. By mid-April, we will see what the best option is, and we will make our decision”.