Ergin Ataman says EuroLeague must become closed league / News - Basketnews.com

Ergin Ataman believes EuroLeague must become a closed competition so the clubs' income could improve.

Credit: D.Lukšta Credit D.Lukšta

Anadolu Efes Istanbul head coach Ergin Ataman believes EuroLeague must become a closed competition so that the teams could see an improvement in income.

EuroLeague finances and commercial side have been a topic for years, and Ataman says it definitely needs to improve.

"I think that for the improvement of income, we need a closed league of 24 teams," Ataman told Marc Mundet from RAC1. "Just like in the NBA, Formula 1, or the ATP. We need to close the Euroleague and the national leagues so that the national teams would have room in the schedule."

"The problem of the Euroleague is the income of its teams. The League must find solutions to improve this issue. Some teams spend 40 or 50 million euros. But what about the income? It is terrible," Ataman continued.

The Turkish tactician also pointed out the recent Luka Doncic quote, where he admits that he watches more EuroLeague than NBA.

Will EuroLeague do enough to put itself on the map after Luka Doncic words?

"The quality of EuroLeague basketball is very high," Ataman argued. "Look at Doncic the other day: he admitted that he watches more Euroleague games than NBA. Why? Because games are much more entertaining. However, the organizational level is not the same."

Ataman also criticized FIBA windows, arguing that the best players cannot take part during the season.

"The national teams are very important for the development of basketball around the world. Now, during the season, they [national teams] are playing the B or C teams. The good ones are not going there. They have to fix it," Ataman concluded.

Ataman also talked about comparisons with Jose Mourinho, a 3-peat with Anadolu Efes, and an eventful night in Barcelona last year

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