EuroLeague and FIBA take unprecedented action / News - Basketnews.com

For the first time ever, FIBA divided the 2023 FIBA World Cup European Qualifiers into two game days, in which a total of 24 games will be played. Meanwhile, EuroLeague also made changes to its calendar, allowing Fenerbahce and Crvena Zvezda players to play in the upcoming FIBA window.

Credit: FIBA, EuroLeague Credit FIBA, EuroLeague

During the ongoing disagreement between EuroLeague and FIBA, both organizations made an unprecedented effort in the fixtures calendar.

Before the upcoming 2023 World Cup European Qualifiers window, rapid changes were made that seem to suit some of the teams.

BasketNews takes a look in this unique situation.

All eyes on Turkey and Serbia

Credit FIBA

FIBA began its windows system in 2017, with each national team playing two games in one window divided into 3-4 game days.

However, the upcoming window in November is the first-ever qualifiers window with two game days, meaning that 12 games will be played on Friday (November 11) and Monday (November 14). Such a decision has been made only for European Qualifiers.

With a little bit more than a month left, changes have been made to Group I and Group J schedule. Initially, it was planned that both groups' games would take place on Thursday (November 10) and Sunday (November 13).

Interestingly, Group I features Serbia (3-3) and Turkey (2-4). Both countries are far away from clinching a spot in the 2023 FIBA World Cup and face the possibility of not qualifying for the main tournament.

It will be a crucial window for both teams, so Serbian and Turkish basketball federations made a huge effort to bring their stars from EuroLeague teams.

Before the upcoming European Qualifiers window, EuroLeague also announced changes to its calendar. Initially, Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul had to face Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade on Friday, but the game took place on Thursday.

Meanwhile, the Italian derby between EA7 Emporio Armani Milan and Virtus Segafredo Bologna was moved to Wednesday.

According to BasketNews sources, such changes are related to Dejan Bodiroga's arrival to EuroLeague management. The official reasoning for calendar changes is motivated by TV broadcasters demand.

BasketNews sources claim there was a narrative that clashing EuroLeague and FIBA World Cup European Qualifiers games wouldn't allow TV broadcasters to fulfill their commitments.

EuroLeague star power

Friendly calendar changes allow many players to play for their national teams. Serbia has a 3-3 record and is tied with Belgium (3-3) for the 3rd-4th place in Group I. Meanwhile, Turkey has a 2-4 record and stands 5th.

The three best teams from each group will qualify for the main 2023 FIBA World Cup tournament.

Serbia will face Great Britain on Friday at 8 pm CET, while the game against Turkey will take place on Monday at 8 pm CET. Meanwhile, Turkey will play against Belgium on Friday at 7 pm CET.

Serbia is expected to have such players as Vasilije Micic, Marko Guduric, Vladimir Lucic, and Ognjen Jaramaz.

Three Crvena Zvezda (Luka Mitrovic, Nikola Topic, Ognjen Dobric) and two Partizan Mozzart Bet Belgrade (Danilo Andjusic and Uros Trifunovic) players are already working in the training camp.

Credit FIBA

Meanwhile, Nemanja Nedovic will miss the game against Great Britain, but he is expected to be available in the match against Turkey.

Bugrahan Tuncer will be the only Anadolu Efes Istanbul representative in the Turkish national team since Egehan Arna is currently injured. However, Fenerbahce players list is much longer.

The Turkish champions allowed to join the national team to Scottie Wilbekin, Melih Mahmutoglu, Metecan Birsen, and Sehmus Hazer.

Changes that came at a cost

However, not everyone is happy with such changes. Latvia (5-1) currently leads Group I and was angered by such schedule changes, especially because of their home game against Great Britain.

Initially, Latvia had to face Greece on Thursday and host Great Britain on Sunday.

Although both games were pushed by only one day, the supposed weekend game against Great Britain became an event on a workday. The tickets to the game were already sold-out in September.

"It's been a month since the changes, so like every other person, you deal with the situation," Latvian basketball federation secretary-general Kaspars Cipruss told BasketNews. "Of course, we are happy that FIBA and EuroLeague are trying to make a dialogue by giving an opportunity for the best players to represent their countries. It's a very good step forward."

"However, we were not happy because if you take the first steps, no one should be hurt by them. Now, the changes were made rapidly, forgetting the rules that FIBA set itself. It's really unprofessional from their side," added Cipruss.

Credit FIBA

People have the right to ask for a ticket refund because the game date was changed. Latvian basketball federation doesn't have exact numbers of how many people will use such an option, but it is estimated that it could be around 2-3 thousand people.

Most of them – people from other towns and cities who planned to visit the capital Riga on Sunday afternoon.

According to Cipruss, FIBA Regulations state that the game date could be changed 60 days before the game at the latest. In other cases, national teams that will play each other find an agreement to change the date, and FIBA approves such an agreement.

"Earlier, 6-7 Latvians have been playing in the EuroLeague. Sometimes, we asked FIBA if it would be possible to make some adjustments to the schedule, so EuroLeague players could arrive," Cipruss explained to BasketNews. "FIBA was reluctant that such changes are not possible. However, this time FIBA simply made those changes, and there was nothing we could do."

On top of that, Ukraine will also play its FIBA World European Qualifiers game on Monday in Riga. Ukraine can't play home games in its homeland due to the ongoing war with Russia.

The game between Ukraine and Iceland is scheduled for 3 pm CET.

"Initially, we had to play on Sunday and Ukraine on Monday at 6 pm CET (7 pm local time), which is a very good time," said Cipruss. "However, our game date was changed, and so was Ukraine's. I don't know if it's a good decision for basketball and the Ukrainian basketball federation."

So, what was the official FIBA reasoning for making changes to the schedule?

"I would need to double-check, but I remember the part about the beginning of the negotiations between FIBA and EuroLeague," Cipruss said. "This decision was presented as the first step from FIBA in an attempt to have a more flexible calendar and opportunity to play for EuroLeague players."

"However, in our case, we still won't have Latvian players from EuroLeague," Cipruss noted.

Latvia has two EuroLeague players this season. Rolands Smits from Zalgiris Kaunas and Arturs Kurucs from Baskonia Cazoo Vitoria-Gasteiz.

After changes in EuroLeague management, there's a belief that the relationship between FIBA and EuroLeague could improve. However, BasketNews sources claim that it's difficult to expect significant changes because EuroLeague clubs make key decisions in their shareholder meetings.

So far, EuroLeague teams also don't have a unified position regarding the FIBA windows system. In most cases, teams allow their players to only local national teams.

For example, Fenerbahce and Anadolu Efes let the Turkish players join Turkey's national team, or both Serbian teams release their local players to Serbia's national team.

FIBA still believes in the windows system, arguing that it helps promoting basketball in many different countries. However, it's possible that FIBA would be willing to make calendar changes so the qualifiers games wouldn't clash with EuroLeague matches.

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