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European Super League: More EuroLeague, less NBA: How the European Super League compares to basketball | Marca

marca.com, 19 April 2021, 10:32
Not a closed competition entirely

It seems as though European football is following basketball's lead in taking the next steps towards furthering the goals of its clubs.

Twelve of the continent's biggest football clubs announced the creation of a European Super League, which would be a 20-team competition, with five qualifying teams each season. The other 15 spaces are reserved for founder clubs.

In June 2000, something similar happened in basketball. Wanting more power over the decision-making processes, nine teams broke away to form their own EuroLeague.

Real Madrid, Barcelona, Baskonia, Olympiacos, Zalgiris, Benetton Treviso, Kinder Bologna, AEK and Fortitudo Bologna were the founding members of the EuroLeague, putting an end to the old European Cup.

These teams went up against the International Basketball Federation (FIBA) to form the Union of European Basketball Leagues (ULEB) and the new competition was in play for the 2000/01 season.

After having a SuproLeague and a EuroLeague for the first season, many of the teams from the former joined with the latter after just one year. It wasn't until 2004 that the SuproLeague was disbanded.

EuroLeague vs NBA

Like basketball's EuroLeague, football's European Super League will not be a closed competition. As well as its 15 members clubs, it will welcome an additional five clubs each season, based on their performances the previous campaign.

This makes it different to the NBA, where the league is expanded to welcome more teams, rather than basing its places on sporting merit.

In 2015, though, the EuroLeague changed tact. It guaranteed the participation of 13 teams for the next 10 years, with other participating teams invited in. This went alongside a TV deal worth 630 million euros.

This system, not entirely based on sporting merit, did not go down well with FIBA. New FIBA windows were opened to allow players to play for their national teams because their clubs did not release them.

It remains to be seen what kind of relationship the European Super League has with FIFA and UEFA. It will not be a friendly one to start with, though.

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