Owners of the 13 EuroLeague shareholder clubs agreed during a meeting in Cernobbio, Italy, to convert their existing 10-year licenses into permanent membership spots. The decision came during a two-day gathering of Euroleague Commercial Assets shareholders on October 5 and 6.
The league also announced that it is planning to expand from 20 participating teams to 24 next season. Four new teams will be added following interest from multiple professional clubs across the continent.
Delegates at the Italian summit also discussed a proposal from the NBA, which was ultimately rejected. The official announcement from EuroLeague confirmed that club owners decided instead to reinforce their existing joint ownership structure.
Permanent licenses for founding clubs
EuroLeague is Europe's top professional basketball competition, managed by Euroleague Commercial Assets as a club-owned entity. Cernobbio, the lakeside town in northern Italy's Como province where the shareholders met, hosted executives from all 13 equity-holding teams.
The transition to permanent membership applies to the 13 shareholder clubs that currently hold 10-year licenses. These clubs are Anadolu Efes, Baskonia Vitoria, CSKA Moscow, Olimpia Milan, FC Barcelona, FC Bayern Munich, Fenerbahce, LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, Real Madrid, and Zalgiris Kaunas.
These 13 teams include some of the most decorated organizations in European sports history, such as Spanish powerhouses Real Madrid and FC Barcelona, Greek rivals Olympiacos and Panathinaikos, and Turkish champions Anadolu Efes and Fenerbahce. Moving from long-term licenses to permanent status provides these franchises with permanent governance rights and financial stability.
Leadership presentations and strategic planning
EuroLeague President Dejan Bodiroga welcomed attendees to the meeting and highlighted the collective work accomplished by clubs over recent decades. Bodiroga said that these efforts have generated unprecedented growth, interest, and momentum for European club basketball.
Bodiroga, a former Serbian international who won three EuroLeague titles during his playing career, assumed the league presidency in 2022. Following his opening remarks, EuroLeague Chief Executive Officer Chus Bueno delivered a presentation outlining progress under the league's approved strategic roadmap and 10-year business plan.
Bueno detailed key strategic priorities for the organization, emphasizing both the license conversion process and expansion opportunities arising from binding proposals submitted by interested professional clubs.
Future expansion and next steps
Club owners agreed to continue the formal process of increasing the number of permanent membership spots in the league. Multiple clubs have submitted binding offers to join the elite European competition as permanent members.
The assembly instructed the EuroLeague Board of Directors to continue evaluating the incoming expansion proposals. The board is expected to present its final recommendation to shareholders for approval within the coming weeks.
