Zalgiris committed to staying competitive despite diminishing budget / News - Basketnews.com

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Zalgiris Kaunas' overall club budget for the next EuroLeague season will be €6.8 million. €5.1M will be allocated to player salaries and coaching staff. In comparison, it is about a quarter less than last year, when Zalgiris finished 11th with a 17-17 record.

2-pointers this season

52%20,1Points made:20,1Accuracy:52,2%Place in standings:5Record max:31Record min:15Most made 2FGs:Joffrey LauvergneTeamEuroLeagueStatisticsSchedule

Zalgiris Director Paulius Motiejunas provided the inside numbers during a press conference on Friday.

The team planned to raise €9.2M last season but fell short (€7.3M), as ticket sales didn't reach anticipated numbers. Due to Covid restrictions, the Kaunas team generated just over €0.4 million in revenues from ticket sales.

However, there was a slight increase in sponsorship income. Zalgiris improved in this department by €200,000 (from €1.7M planned to €1.9M received).

The Lithuanian champions also slightly reduced their costs - from €9.7M planned to €9.1M incurred.

"I want to emphasize that we have no debts to either the players or the coaches," noted Motiejunas. "With revenues at 7.3 million, we still had 0.5 million from last season, which we also used. The deficit is € 1.3 million. The largest part of the debt, about €1 million, consists of unpaid taxes, which, like all companies, we will be able to repay within five years."

Interestingly, several games that Zalgiris could play with a limited crowd in attendance were also unprofitable.

"That number was unprofitable for us because security and cleaning services cost money, and we couldn't provide catering services," explained Zalgiris Director.

The pandemic also significantly increased the team's travel expenses. "We planned to fly on regular flights, but they simply weren't there. Travel costs amounted to €385,000, €71,500 were spent on player testing, and €10,000 on the disinfection of the arena."

Despite lowered budget and uncertain times, Zalgiris Kaunas still plan to be competitive and fight for the Playoff spot in the EuroLeague.

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