Andreas Zagklis, Secretary General of FIBA, once again placed the spotlight this week on one of the projects that could most significantly transform European basketball over the coming decades: the future competition being jointly developed by FIBA and the NBA. The Greek executive used a media briefing to provide an update on an initiative targeted to launch in October 2027 and which, he argued, has already moved beyond a concept on paper to become a project in an advanced stage of preparation.
“We are very excited about the progress of the project of a new league in Europe. We are talking about the biggest ever investment in our sport in Europe,” said Zagklis, in a statement that reflects the scale of the economic commitment FIBA associates with the future competition.
One of the most significant aspects of his remarks was his insistence that the new league will maintain a pathway based on sporting merit. Responding to criticism that the model could become too closed, Zagklis argued that qualified clubs will have access to the same economic opportunities as permanent franchises. “The teams that qualify into the competition will have equal starting revenue and equal access to performance-related revenue with the franchises. This is fundamental not only to attract investment into the clubs with permanent spots, but also into those competing every year in domestic leagues and the Basketball Champions League.”
The executive also delivered a direct message to Euroleague Commercial Assets, the organisation that currently controls the EuroLeague. While reiterating that FIBA remains open to dialogue, he made clear that the project will move forward even if no agreement is reached with the current continental competition. “Today we have determination to go ahead with or without agreement. While this may sound like a step toward fragmentation, I consider it a step towards agreement, because it is the only way people can be ready for concessions and find common ground.”
An open league with access through sporting merit
Zagklis devoted much of his intervention to explaining why he believes it is essential to preserve places that can be earned through sporting results. To illustrate his point, he referred to Unicaja, one of the most successful clubs outside the EuroLeague in recent years. “If you support Unicaja, you should have the chance to see your team play in the top league. Unicaja played in the top European league, was a shareholder of that competition and one day stopped being part of it through a decision in which it had no involvement. Therefore, the 25% openness is the ultimate respect for all basketball fans across the continent because it allows them to dream that their club can play in the top league.”
According to Zagklis, qualification will come both through the Basketball Champions League and through dedicated qualification tournaments involving the best teams from domestic leagues. “Even without a licence, you can play in the top league every year. It is directly related to sporting merit.”
The FIBA Secretary General also confirmed that the target launch date remains October 2027. “We work on a target of October 2027. The qualification mechanism is clear. There will be access through the Basketball Champions League and also through one or more qualification tournaments at the end of the season.”
From concept to execution
Another of the most notable messages concerned the stage of development of the project. In response to those who still believe the initiative could remain merely a statement of intent, Zagklis insisted that operational work is already underway. “There are very frequent meetings, virtually every week, of the operational teams preparing the project. It is not a theoretical project anymore.”
He also argued that the future calendar must balance the interests of all stakeholders involved: domestic leagues, the new continental competition and national teams. “The fundamental principle is that teams should be able to have their best players available, whether that is for domestic league games, European competitions or national team windows.”
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