By Eurohoops team/ info@eurohoops.net
Managing Director Bostjan Nachbar and Secretary General Anze Blazic visited the Zadar basketball tournament where they met with players of AX Armani Exchange Olimpia Milano, CSKA Moscow, Fenerbahce Istanbul and Maccabi Tel Aviv in very productive meetings.
Players confirmed the need of EuroLeague Players Association and its meaning for them and development of European basketball in general.
They raised several issues that need to be discussed with EuroLeague and its shareholders which could help to make an even better product for all parts involved in the league, especially the fans. All the issues could also be the subject of negotiation in a Collective Bargaining Agreement, the biggest goal of ELPA in the near future.
As Maccabi Tel Aviv‘s Tarik Black said: “With basketball being such a national powerhouse it is instrumental that the people who are engines to the vehicle have the proper representation which is possible through EuroLeague Players Association. I am glad it has been formed. Things that we were talking about are so powerful and impactful for players in Europe moving forward with players’ rights. ELPA is instrumental for us, our success and progression of basketball. It is a world changing thing.”
CSKA Moscow‘s Nando de Colo added: “We had a meeting with all the players to talk about what we can do better for us. EuroLeague Players Association is very important and we are very happy we can work on it together.”
And Fenerbahce‘s Sinan Guler hopes that the standards will get improved: “We’ve met with EuroLeague Players Association representatives in Zadar and it was a very productive meeting. It was nice to see that all players want to act in a unified voice and I hope that they will improve the standards we show to the fans.”