This week the Euroleague requested a meeting with FIBA following comments by FIBA Secretary General Patrick Baumann, who said that "there are no conversations with the Euroleague," according to AS. FIBA responded to the request by the Euroleague with a statement saying it "remains focused on launching the Basketball Champions League for the '16-17 season." The conflict between the Euroleague and FIBA "also includes European national teams with the windows that FIBA has approved during the club season starting in '17." FIBA referred to the Euroleague as a "committee of reduced size'' -- as 11 teams have "fixed places" in the tournament for 10 years. FIBA said in a statement, "The timing of the request for a meeting seems to be related to the fact that FIBA, the national federations and the national leagues are working together in intensive fashion on the finalization of the details of the Champions League. FIBA is pleased to see that clubs throughout Europe have reacted positively to the project" (AS, 2/6). In Madrid, Darío Ojeda reported European basketball "is on a path toward disaster." What seemed one year ago like a "remote possibility" is now "very close to becoming a reality." Starting next season there will be two competitions unless the Euroleague and FIBA "reach an agreement before then." In a month and a half, FIBA will present in Paris its Basketball Champions League, "which could be the point of no return." The weeks until that moment arrives "are crucial to avoid next season being chaos, not only because of the confusion that this could create for fans, but because of the consequences on the calendar." Since November, contact between the two parties "has been non-existent" beyond the messages that Baumann and Euroleague CEO Jordi Bertomeu have shared through the press (EL CONFIDENCIAL, 2/7).
