New "Mediterranean League"

[FIBA Europe Basket]

I heard that the owners of Olympiacos are working on starting a new big international league, called the "Mediterranean League".

The goal of the new Mediterranean League is to replace the Spanish ACB League as the premiere regional/domestic league in Europe and to improve the level and quality of competition for the clubs participating in the league, versus what they currently have in their national domestic leagues.

The new league would include clubs such as Lottomatica Roma, Armani Milano, Montepaschi Siena, Olympiacos Piraeus, Panathinaikos Athens, Aris Thessaloniki, Fenerbache Ulker, Efes Pilsen, Maccabi Tel Aviv and others.

The clubs would also have to play their home games in a 5,000 seat arena.

[frodoborg]

Yes, I have seen this here and on talkbasket. But what is the source of this information? I mean, is this something Greek press is discussing?

[koursaros7]

I heard that the owners of Olympiacos are working on starting a new big international league, called the "Mediterranean League".

Ex FIBA Europe Vassilakopoulos is the owner of olympiacos?

on the spot as always

[pomahnitali gnat]

This was mentioned in our media and they said that our teams (or just Partizan) could probably be invited to participate. If this is true, it would be awesome, cause we could finally ditch the circus aka Adriatic league.

[Gonzaka]

The goal of the new Mediterranean League is to replace the Spanish ACB League as the premiere regional/domestic league in Europe

I think it's absurd to create an international league for only this goal...

[Kwijibo]

I think it's absurd to create an international league for only this goal...

I think that multimillonaire owns of oly are jealous because his team doesn't play in the best league of europe

[Gonzaka]

I think thhan multimillonaire owns of oly are jealous because his team doesn't play in the best league of europe

Isn't it the Euroleague?

[Kwijibo]

Isn't it the Euroleague?

Yes i forgot it

[koursaros7]

I think it's absurd to create an international league for only this goal...

I think that multimillonaire owns of oly are jealous because his team doesn't play in the best league of europe

Do you both understand that you took for granted something FIBA Europe Basket said, without providing any facts or links for his claims as always?

Fact number 1 is that this league is a plan of ex-Fiba europe president Vassilakopoulos, and oly's owners have nothing to do with that.
Vassilakopoulos is not the most popular guy for oly...

Fact number 2 is that the purpose is to create a league where a big number of teams from various national leagues with little competition, will be able to participate in a strong competitive league.

The regular season of the greek league have nothing to offer to oly or pao.
The same with the italian league and sienna etc.

the purpose is to create a league where these teams will be able to face strong competition during regular season, and to participate only in the play-offs of their national leagues.

Nothing to do with oly's owners and "replacing" ACB or any other delusions of FIBA Europe Basket...

[alermac]

the purpose is to create a league where these teams will be able to face strong competition during regular season, and to participate only in the play-offs of their national leagues.

That would kill those national leagues.

[koursaros7]

That would kill those national leagues.

They are already dead...
On the contrary, i think its an interesting idea, because that would give some interest to the other teams who now can't compete with the bigger teams in regular season.
The teams from "Mediterranean League" will skip the regular season and participate only in the play-offs...

In the greek league for example, except maroussi and sometimes aris/paok/panellinios/panionios, all other teams can't compete with oly and pao not even for a quarter...

I mean the games go up to 30, 40 points difference...
I have a season ticket for oly's games, and very often i'm thinking "does it worth it to spend 2 hours of my life and go to SEF to watch the game against e.g olympia larissa"?

And i guess sometimes the players are thinking the same thing, as quite often they look bored to death

I don't know exactly how things work in the other leagues, but i guess its pretty much the same for maccabi in israel, sienna in italy etc.

[alermac]

They are already dead...

I mean, the leagues might be on a competitive crisis, and making such a move in a bad financial time for Europe can lead to sponsors and TV losing even more interest and an even deeper crisis for the rest of the clubs.

[The Saint]

I mean, the leagues might be on a competitive crisis, and making such a move in a bad financial time for Europe can lead to sponsors and TV losing even more interest and an even deeper crisis for the rest of the clubs.

Sorry for intervening in your conversation, but even though this might be partially true i can see positive things coming out of that..The small clubs will have to switch on production of young players, and teams like oly-pao-aris-paok who have strong fanbases will compete to a strong mediterranean league and give their fans a boost to go and see them
If you notice in the euroleague games where competition is stronger oly and pao have big attendances and some days later in ESAKE games their numbers are much much lower
You have to be a really fanatic basketball fan to go and watch olympiacos-trikala and panathinaikos-kavala.. Some of us are such fanatic basketball fans that we stay awake until 4 o'clock in the morning to watch college basketball but let's be honest - that is not a normal behavior

[Red 7]

Isn't it the Euroleague?

The reason why there is an idea to create a Mediterranean league can only be explained if you watch the Greek championship finals. Its commonly recognised that almost every crucial game between Olympiacos and Panathinaikos also involves extremely hostile refereeing (this is a huge topic). In the end of the championship this year, the owners of Olympiacos where thinking of leaving the Greek league and joining the Adriatic league.... it is because of the frustration with the referees. This is why there is talk about a Med league...

[Red 7]

That would kill those national leagues.

Not necessarily... if you look at how the Adriatic league works it is in conjunction with domestic leagues where points carry over... i don't know exactly how it works though as I am unfamiliar with the mechanics and admin of the adriatic league.