Zalgiris present increased budget for upcoming season / News - Basketnews.com

Zalgiris GM confirmed that Kaunas applied for EuroLeague Final Four host status in 2023.

Credit: Erikas Ovčarenko/BNS Credit Erikas Ovčarenko/BNS

Zalgiris Kaunas organized a traditional press conference ahead of the new EuroLeague season, where the club's GM Paulius Motiejunas presented the financial numbers.

The Lithuanian powerhouse is going to have a budget of €11.3 million this upcoming season and will distribute €7.2 million for players' salaries.

Last campaign, Zalgiris had a €10.0 million budget. However, the spending exceeded the budget and amounted to €10.5 million.

"We have a 0.5 million deficit from last season. Talking about this year's budget, we are planning to have a little bigger budget of 11.3 million. The difference is not so big, comparing the two seasons' numbers," Motiejunas said.

He also confirmed BasketNews information about Kaunas applying for a EuroLeague Final Four host status in 2023.

"We saw that it's a very relevant topic. We submitted an application to organize a EuroLeague Final Four. What seems the most important to us is that it's a sports and business event. It's not a situation where you spend money, and they never return to you," Zalgiris GM commented.

"Based on what we know from Vitoria Final Four in 2019 and other events, around 10,000 fans would arrive in Kaunas, and not only there."

As stated by Motiejunas, the Final Four would generate around €1.1 million in income for Lithuania.

"It's our wish to bring the biggest club basketball event in Europe.

"I want to emphasize that even if we fulfill our financial obligations, we are not guaranteed whether we will arrange the Final Four. We would only look more seriously as candidates," stated the top executive.

Motiejunas also noted that he doesn't know who are the other contenders to organize the event of the four strongest EuroLeague teams.

"It's several weeks' questions. This unknown [who is going to organize the Final Four] is not going to last long."

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