Bertomeu: 'Euroleague teams won't respect new FIBA schedule'

In an interview with Spanish radio Cadena Ser, Jordi Bertomeu, CEO of Euroleague, spoke about next season and the conflict between Euroleague and FIBA, especially regarding the new schedule that FIBA implemented that will introduce National teams games during the season:

"Both NBA and Euroleague position regarding this matter have already been taken a long time ago," said Bertomeu. "We had an assembly a year and a half ago where the teams decided that they were not going to take part in new FIBA project. And we're still in the same position. We will have a new meeting in July where we'll discuss the schedule for the next season, maybe we'd be able to help, especially with Eurocup, but with Euroleague it would be almost impossible to give a hand. This can't be our problem, the problem is who has set a schedule with an absurd competition in which it is known that the best players are not going to be."

"You can't fool the fans," continued Bertomeu. "A Spanish team is a Spanish team and deserves a lot of respect. A qualification for the World Cup needs to be arranged so that everyone will be able to be there and play at their best and this has not be done so far. From the moment it'll start, the competition will be already devalued in itself. I cannot understand how can you ask something to European that you don't ask NBA teams. This is not going to be understood by anyone. The project does not make sense in itself, it would be good to reconsider, we have been saying it for four years and proposing alternatives, but there seems to be no receptivity on the other side"