It’s time for the Basketball Champions League and the EuroCup to become one

The interest in the EuroLeague regular season has surpassed all expectations and the fight for participation in the playoffs is sensational. With ten laps to go, neither the top eight nor the home advantage is certain, everything can be turned upside down within 1-2 races.

Anyone is capable of beating anyone on their day. Even if first plays last, no one puts their hand on the result. That’s why a serious discussion about increasing the teams has flared up, which should continue after the regular season, because 8 out of 18 is small and unfair – Dimitris Itoudis also argued on the subject in an interview with Haris Stavrou and Sportish a few days ago.

European basketball is not just the EuroLeague

The play-ins introduced by the NBA are also a one-way street for the EuroLeague, bringing the number of those remaining in action with the post season to 10 or even 12.

But European basketball isn’t just the EuroLeague and shouldn’t be just the EuroLeague. The subject of the windows for the national teams with the miserable calendar for which the EuroLeague is responsible and which FIBA ​​condones, we will not examine here – unable to react.

The issue that will concern us is the rest of the events between the clubs, which can and should be of a high standard.

At the moment, the EuroCup is essentially uninteresting due to its implementation. Two groups of 10, 16 out of 20 play on and play for their lives after the details of the knockout games. Normal season with minimal interest, basketball level not very high, matches are played and basically nobody cares.

If it weren’t for the big ticket goal of one year for the EuroLeague, it would be the least interesting of the competition.

To create a really strong second division

At the same time, the Basketball Champions League is more qualitative and has more big names in European basketball. In fact, the BCL is by far the second competition in Europe, only this split doesn’t make it any more interesting. Also, it has no connection to the EuroLeague.

Of course the BCL system could be different and more games could be played, at least in FIBA ​​they recognize that there is room for improvement and are studying this.

Be that as it may, both the EuroCup and the Basketball Champions League are far from the EuroLeague. With each passing day, the distance grows, and at the end of the day, that only hurts European basketball.

So it’s time to merge the EuroCup with the BCL to create a really strong second division in European basketball.

And not just to increase interest, but to have a connection to all basketball in the old continent now. The second event is attended by teams that win a place at the national championships, and the winners have the right to participate in the EuroLeague…

Why does something so simple have no followers in all of European basketball?

PS European arbitration also needs to be consolidated. Immediately. There are many good European referees, but they are split between FIBA ​​and EuroLeague. This is how many bad referees survive in both FIBA ​​and EuroLeague. And we’ve been talking about FIBA ​​referees for a long time, but the problem there is smaller compared to the top interclub competition.