Aco Petrovic says it's time for Zvezda and Partizan to leave ABA League / News - Basketnews.com

Aleksandar Petrovic says Crvena Zvezda and Partizan are drastically ahead of the other ABA League teams because of their big budgets.

Credit: AFP-Scanpix, KK Partizan/Dragana Stjepanovic, Srdjan Stevanovic/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images Credit AFP-Scanpix, KK Partizan/Dragana Stjepanovic, Srdjan Stevanovic/Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images

Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade and Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade are two Serbian powerhouses that represent the country in the EuroLeague.

Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade / Schedule

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade91-87 Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade Anadolu Efes IstanbulFri19:30 Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade12-2217:45

Moreover, both clubs play in the regional Adriatic League which also involves teams from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, and Slovenia.

Aleksandar Petrovic, current Croatian NT head coach, believes that the two most successful Serbian teams -- Crvena Zvezda and Partizan -- are drastically ahead of the other ABA League teams, so it's time to consider leaving the competition.

"I think it's time for Zvezda and Partizan to leave the ABA League because, with these budgets, which are huge compared to the other teams, it's logical for them to be permanent members of the EuroLeague. And for the ABA League, it's time to turn to what it was in the beginning, development league for young players," Aco Petrovic tweeted.

In the last 15 years, only three times Partizan or Zvezda have not been crowned as champions of the regional competition. Maccabi Tel Aviv won the league in the 2011-12 season, Cibona triumphed in the 2013-14 campaign, and Buducnost captured first place in the 2017-18 season.

In the past, the ABA League has also consisted of clubs from Bulgaria (Levski), the Czech Republic (CEZ Nymburk), Hungary (Szolnoki Olaj), and Israel (Maccabi Tel Aviv) that received wild card invitations.

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