Zalgiris and Martin Schiller are going to battle in BAT court / News - Basketnews.com

Credit: imago images/Matthias Koch - Scanpix, BNS | Basketnews illustration Credit imago images/Matthias Koch - Scanpix, BNS | Basketnews illustration

The disagreement between Zalgiris Kaunas and their former coach Martin Schiller has reached the Basketball Arbitral Tribunal's (BAT) court.

Free throws this season

80%11,5Points made:11,5Accuracy:80,0%Place in standings:11Record max:35Record min:4Most made FTs:Lukas LekavičiusTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

After a long time of both sides sticking to their positions, the 40-year-old Austrian coach decided to pursue his truth in a legal manner. According to Basketnews sources, the Zalgiris team was informed about the decision approximately 6 weeks ago after receiving all official documents.

"We're going to courts," Zalgiris general manager Paulius Motiejunas said in the introductory press conference of the new coach Kazys Maksvytis. "Martin sued us in BAT, and we're going to decide everything there. I don't know if he's still in Kaunas or not."

The main object of the disagreement is money. According to Basketnews sources, Zalgiris were ready to pay 80% of Schiller's total pay for the 2021-2022 season, but the coach stood his ground and required his entire salary to be fully paid.

The two sides are going to endure a long and exhausting process in the BAT.

Zalgiris GM Motiejunas congratulates Martin Schiller on winning a titleCredit BasketNews.lt/D.Lukšta

Zalgiris parted with Schiller only two months after he started the preparation in the offseason. Marked with uninspiring play, Zalgiris lost all 5 of their preseason matches. Although 4 wins were reached, the start of the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) season was very difficult.

Zalgiris lost to LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne and Zenit Saint Petersburg in the EuroLeague, and the club announced that they no longer see their future with the Austrian specialist.

It was hoped the two sides could find a solution in a peaceful way. "One-of-a-kind situation. I've talked to agents, it's the first time in my career that a foreign coach stays here in Lithuania while being unemployed," Motiejunas told the media on November 18th.

"It's strange, the negotiations are still going on. They will be eventually finished. I don't know when, but it's probably coming soon," the GM told back then. "Some kind of ping pong is going on with his agents, but I feel that we're closing in on a finish line."

According to Basketnews sources, Schiller has received multiple offers throughout the season to coach other teams, but all of them did not catch the interest of the coach. When he was relieved of his duties by Zalgiris, he stayed in Kaunas.

Schiller was seen in a Lietkabelis Panevezys game in EuroCup, he also travelled to Berlin to watch Zalgiris match against ALBA Berlin.

When Schiller took over Zalgiris in 2020 after the departure of Sarunas Jasikevicius, the club signed him to a two-year deal.

Coached by Schiller, Zalgiris won half of their games in his first EuroLeague season (17 wins and 17 losses) and ultimately placed 11th in the standings. Schiller won the Lithuanian Basketball Cup and the Lithuanian Basketball League (LKL) titles with Zalgiris last year on the local front.

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