Gran Canaria reportedly interested in joining the BCL / News - Basketnews.com

Gran Canaria seem willing to follow in the footsteps of other clubs that have left the EuroCup after realizing their slim chances of making the EuroLeague.

Credit: Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images Credit Euroleague Basketball via Getty Images

Gran Canaria seem determined to follow the same path that Unicaja Malaga took two years ago.

Free throws this season

77%14,0Points made:14,0Accuracy:76,6%Place in standings:13Record max:25Record min:8Most made FTs:Khalifa DiopTeamEuroCupStatisticsSchedule

According to Relevo, the Spanish side has already taken the first steps to leaving the EuroCup in order to enter the Basketball Champions League. In fact, taking advantage of the Intercontinental Cup Final Four, which was held in neighboring Tenerife over the past weekend, the club's front office met with representatives of FIBA to inform them of their intention.

The team from the Canary islands, which has participated in seven of the last 10 editions of the EuroCup, has decided to change competition due to the difficulties of accessing the EuroLeague.

According to the rules currently in place, only the EuroCup finalists have a place in the next edition of the top competition, as long as the teams that were promoted the previous season do not finish in the top-8, in which case only the champion gets the ticket.

The EuroLeague is still to define which teams that will participate next season. This uncertainty can further complicate access to the highest continental competition from the EuroCup. Especially after acting EuroLeague CEO Marshall Glickman assured that Russian teams would not return next season and announced that keeping AS Monaco in the competition "would not be a problem".

In addition to the sporting aspect, Gran Canaria, per the same report, appreciate the growth of a tournament like the Champions League and the economic advantage that its entry into this competition would entail. The BCL guarantees its participants 40,000 euros for playing the regular phase, 80,000 for reaching the Round of 16, 120,000 for the quarterfinalists, 140,000 for the fourth place, 200,000 for the third, 400,000 for the runner-up and one million for the champion.

Over the past three seasons, Unicaja Malaga, Darussafaka Istanbul, Bamberg and Rytas Vilnius have moved from the EuroCup to the BCL due to the difficulties in gaining access to the EuroLeague and due to the economic compensation they receive in the competition run by FIBA.

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