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In a recent interview with Anadolu Agency, George Aivazoglou, the NBA official closely associated with the expansion plans for Europe in partnership with FIBA, discussed the involvement of Turkish teams, particularly Fenerbahce Beko.
“Fenerbahce is an outstanding organization, and I commend them for reaching the Final Four. Galatasaray is also a notable club, along with other strong teams like Anadolu Efes and Besiktas,” Aivazoglou remarked. “We see significant potential in Turkey as a market for our new league initiative in Europe, and Istanbul holds particular interest for us.”
He highlighted a discrepancy in European basketball that he wishes to address: “Even if Galatasaray secures the Turkish championship, they are not eligible to participate in Europe’s premier cup competition, unlike in football, where the league champion qualifies for the UEFA Champions League. We aim to rectify this situation,” he explained.
Aivazoglou was present at a recent Euroleague Basketball meeting held in Istanbul, where discussions revolved around the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and various aspects of European basketball. He had the opportunity to engage with numerous officials, including Fenerbahce’s president, Ali Koc.
“It was a fantastic chance to connect with many clubs and some owners. My meeting with Ali Koc was productive,” he noted, emphasizing that the overall sentiment was encouraging. “I reiterated our openness to collaboration with anyone in the ecosystem willing to partner in this endeavor and aid us in realizing this vision.”
He expressed confidence in establishing a league that adheres to European standards, saying, “This league will be designed to honor the traditions, the passion of the fans, and the distinctive style of European play. We recognize that this differs significantly from the style outside of Europe and in the United States.”
Aivazoglou also reiterated the ambition to incorporate teams from Europe into the league. “Cities such as Madrid and Barcelona in Spain, London and Manchester in England, Paris and Lyon in France, Milan and Rome in Italy, and Munich, Frankfurt, and Berlin in Germany are all of interest,” he stated. “We are keen on these locations.”
He outlined three avenues for cities and teams wishing to be part of the league: first, clubs that voluntarily seek to join; second, existing football clubs without basketball teams that wish to establish one; and third, entirely new clubs. “We are evaluating all these avenues, and we have just initiated our research on this matter,” he added.
“We are very clear about our objectives. We envision our league to be geographically centered in Europe, which is why a club from the Middle East will not be included,” he emphasized.
Aivazoglou stated that the ultimate goal is to create a league comprising 16 teams. “We plan to begin with 16 teams and aim for a majority to be permanent fixtures. We also want to include teams from within the ecosystem, with the possibility of different teams qualifying each year. This represents a significant transformation in the current European basketball structure. We see it as a move towards a clearer and more transparent competitive pyramid that is fair, rewards success, and is merit-based.”
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