Zalgiris reveal its increased budget for the upcoming season / News - Basketnews.com

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Before the first EuroLeague home game of the season, Zalgiris Kaunas director Paulius Motiejunas answered questions from the media and presented the team’s 2021-2022 season budget.

Zalgiris Kaunas / Schedule

LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne Zalgiris Kaunas88-76 Zalgiris Kaunas Zenit Saint PetersburgThu17:00

Zalgiris’ budget will reach 10 million euros this season, with the lion’s share – 7.2 million euros will be dedicated for players’ and coaches’ salaries.

For comparison, back in July, Motiejunas said that the expected Zalgiris budget for the 2021-22 season will be 6.8 million euros. Then in August, the Zalgiris director revealed that this number should be higher but didn’t mention exact figures.

Nevertheless, the Lithuanian Champions had to realistically evaluate challenges raised by the pandemic in the income graph, expecting an income of 1.1 million euros.

The total would reach 8.1M Euro, as we combine support from the municipality, partners, and advertising, and adding income from TV rights and sportive achievements.

To address the deficit, Zalgiris signed a 2 million euros loan with the National investment management agency (VIVA). The loan is to be paid back in six years.

“When forming the budget for this season, we wanted to evaluate the income from tickets very carefully,” noted Zalgiris director Paulius Motiejunas. “Last year’s example showed that the pandemic can alter the requirements in the arena, which then reduce or eliminate the possibility to collect part of the planned budget.”

“We decided to play it safe and used the opportunity of a loan to balance our budget. If tickets return to at least a similar level as before the pandemic, we will return this loan much sooner,” he added.

Having to reduce the budget would mean the loss of a flow that has been achieved in the last few years.

A team that cannot compete in the EuroLeague would reduce the expectations of fans and partners alike, and that would limit Zalgiris’ income in the future as well.

According to Paulius Motiejunas, any drastic changes in sports clubs’ budgets have long-lasting repercussions to the entire team and achievements.

During the press conference, the most Zalgerific team project was introduced, and credit was given to the results of the Zalgiris Insider platform, which now boasts a subscriber base of 3000 fans.

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