Foreigners by league in Europe and comparisons with the Basket League

The question of increasing (or decreasing) the number of foreign players in the Basket League has been discussed (sometimes less and sometimes more) for several years. Quite a few times the teams have raised the possibility of adding at least one athlete to the table, but this discussion has not led to any action. At least not until now.

Based on what is known so far, ESAKE is closer than ever to making the decision to increase the number of foreigners to seven (7) with the possibility of six (6) of them being present in the dozen on each matchday. Of course, this requires the “green light” from the EEC. As is well known, nothing works without the consent of the federal government.

On the occasion of the developments of the last few days (and the even more important ones that are just around the corner) in terms of foreigners, Sportish keeps track of what is happening in the most important leagues in Europe. To make the appropriate comparisons that clearly show that what is going to happen in the Basket League has been happening in the other advanced leagues of the old continent for years. Note that the status of the six (6) Greeks in the top twelve does not change.

Spain: Liga Endesa has been the most complicated story for many years because there are many loopholes or partial bills that allow athletes to change status. Hence the classification of foreigners into … categories depending on their past and seniority.

First, let’s assume that teams must have at least four (4) native athletes, which of course includes foreigners who have competed for at least three years in the infrastructure departments of a Liga Endesa club or an affiliated club. In the same category are athletes under the age of 22 who have a ticket for a lower category team but at the same time make a written commitment to a first category team.

Communalists can number up to six (6), a category that includes not only those from Europe but also those falling under the Cotonou umbrella (i.e. those coming from certain countries in Africa, the Caribbean and the Pacific come). .

Finally, while those from the US or Asia make up the final category of foreigners, up to two (2) per group are allowed here. But as long as a team has two (2) US/Asia athletes, it must have four (4) local athletes.

Turkey: In the Basketbol Super Lig, teams have the right to award up to twelve (12) contracts to foreign athletes, but only five (5) of them have the right to compete in each game. The example of the Anatolian Efes in recent years is the most typical thing that has to do with the large number of foreigners sacrificing themselves from game to game.

Israel: The Winner League allows the presence of four (4) foreign athletes, but with the payment of the fee/penalty of €50,000 they can be increased by one for the dozen of a game. In total, of course, a team may not have more than eight (8) registered foreign athletes, for whom it must also pay to have them on its team. In fact, every team is required to announce their 12v12 a day before each game and not on the match sheet like in any other country. As a result, if there is a problem at the last moment, he has no right to switch in the 12th.

Lithuania: In the LKL it is almost the same as in the Basket League, there the use of six (6) foreign athletes is allowed. The only difference is that if the teams are all from the US (i.e. non-EU), they pay an additional fee of 14,500 euros.

Italy: At Lega Basket, each team must have six (6) native athletes in the dozen of each game. Regardless of conditions. As far as foreigners are concerned, the permitted number of contracts he can award is up to twelve (12), six of which are eligible to participate in each game. Of this maximum of twelve (12), eight (8) may not be foreigners European passport holders. To avoid the risk of a team being without a local player in a game, most teams have at least seven Italians under contract.

ABA League: As in the EuroLeague, there is no limit on the number of foreign players.

Serbia: Up to four (4) foreigners are allowed in each game. Incidentally, last year Partizan quickly initiated the procedures for issuing a Serbian passport to Kevin Pander, thus finding the +1 foreigner they were looking for for the cup and league games.

Germany: The Basketball Bundesliga has been running for several years with the logic of six (6) foreign athletes.

Instead of epilogue: The increase in the number of foreign athletes by one (not a dozen in total) is not a phenomenon that lifts Greece above the European average. Anything else puts it down a path that the old continent’s top leagues have followed for many years. It is obvious that this +1 for foreigners will basically loosen the hands of Olympiakos and Panathinaikos as they can financially afford to pay an additional foreign athlete annually. What is clear, however, is that the problem of the production process in the country has nothing to do exclusively with the number of foreigners competing in the Basket League, but goes much deeper.