By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
Real Madrid’s president, Florentino Perez, seems deeply invested in a plan to establish a new top-tier continental competition widely referred to as NBA Europe, according to a Thursday report from The Guardian.
As detailed by the British outlet, the 79-year-old businessman has been constantly asking for updates, pushing for a swift rollout. Observers suggest he wants to solidify the precedent of a semi-closed format to protect long-term interests, especially if the opportunity arises to revive a breakaway football league in the Old Continent.
It is a notable change. Perez had previously cited the existing EuroLeague structure, which currently features 13 club-shareholders alongside rotating clubs, as a model for a previously proposed football competition labeled as the European Super League.
Backing the new basketball league in Europe, the NBA and FIBA maintain plans to launch at the top of the 2027–28 season, per sources. However, the participating field would be more open compared to the ESL, offering a direct qualification path for all domestic champions. In the projected 16-team participating field, NBA Europe would feature 12 permanent teams, with the remaining spots allocated to the Basketball Champions League finalists and the winners of a season-ending qualification tournament directly connected to domestic leagues.
Dealing with a complicated situation, Madrid only formally withdrew from the ESL last year, four years after the initial project collapsed.
Soccer giants are reportedly still craving a mechanism that guarantees permanent participation in the top-tier continental competition, since a semi-closed system would protect them from domestic failure. A similar NBA Europe format would serve as a useful blueprint.
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