By Johnny Askounis/ info@eurohoops.net
With Trapani Shark in the same four-team group as Bnei PenLink Herzliya in the Basketball Champions League Regular Season, team president Valerio Antonini intends to request from FIBA to exclude Israeli clubs from the competition.
“We will officially ask the Champions League not to play against the Israeli team,” the Italian businessman mentioned during a Facebook Live session on Sunday.
During a six-game double-legged round-robin schedule, his side’s introduction to the Champions League and European club continental competitions features matchups opposite Herzliya in Opava on October 28 and in Trapani on November 11.
“I believe that what is happening in Israel is an unprecedented genocide, and we cannot endorse having to play against an Israeli team and perhaps shaking hands with players from a country that is committing such a massacre. Moreover, all the Russian teams have been disqualified and cannot participate in European competitions, so it is right that the Israeli teams should not participate either,” added Antonini.
“This is a decision that can no longer be postponed,” he pointed out, “I myself will sign a document asking the BCL to exclude the Israeli team, which is in our group, from the competition, but in general the request applies to all Israeli teams.”
In Gameday 1 of Group D, the Italian club will host La Laguna Tenerife in PalaShark on October 8. With Tofas in the group as well, the top seed earns a direct ticket to the Round of 16, while the second and third seeds progress to a best-of-three Play-In series.