By Niki Bakouli/ bakouli@eurohoops.net
After we told you what is going to be the status of PBL (Russian League), after VTB United League decided to work under Euroleague’s umbrella, now its time to tell you all about the new Adriatic League, a tournament is also going to change from 2013-2014 season.
For those you missed it, as Sergei Ivanov, the president of VTB United League, said recently that from next year there won’t be actually a PBL. Up to nine teams from Russia can compete at VTB United League, which is going to give births to Euroleague and Eurocup. So, those Russian clubs need to decide if they are going to also play in the Russian Champion. But since the PBL champion isn’t going to gain something except the glory, maybe… there is no reason for this tournament –besides the right of all others Russian teams to play somewhere.
Let’s go now to the information we have about Adriatic League. Till now, ABA has three spots – one for the best Serbian team of the competition, one for the best Croatian and one for the best Slovenian- in Euroleague. But, from 2013-2014 season only the two top teams of the standings will gain the right to play at Euroleague no matter what their nationality is and the third one will play at the qualification round. All that means that the national leagues in Serbia, Croatia and Slovenia are going to be just… the qualification round for Adriatic League and their results will not mean anything to Euroleague.