FIBA Europe Exec Dir Kamil Novak said that "FIBA Europe will ask FIBA to extend the sanctions for 14 national federations to the global level, with implications for the Olympics and Olympic qualifying tournaments," according to Jesús Pérez Ramos of MUNDO DEPORTIVO. Novak said in an interview with Greece's Sport-FM, "FIBA's board will meet at the end of the week and consider the proposal by FIBA Europe and it is likely that these sanctions will be extended at the int'l level." He added, "This is serious. It is a decision that is not taken lightly and there has been a serious debate in FIBA Europe before taking these decisions. Mothers sometimes have to take difficult and painful decisions to protect their families. ... FIBA Europe has had to take these steps given the circumstances that had been created." Novak: "The Euroleague is basically a company, ECA, based in Luxembourg, with 11 members. In addition to the agreement with these 11 clubs the Euroleague promised guaranteed places in the Eurocup to the third, fourth and fifth-placed teams from these leagues if they reached a three-year agreement with the company. This is the problem, because it is a trap for the domestic leagues. All these places are decided before every season, this can be good for certain clubs, but it is not good for the sport. FIBA strongly believes that the fundamental principle of European sport is sporting criteria. When this has no importance because everything is already decided, what purpose do the domestic leagues have? What are they playing for?" (MUNDO DEPORTIVO, 4/18).
