Franchises Replace Licenses! EuroLeague Issues Official Statement Following Crucial Summit – What It Means for Belgrade's Eternal Rivals

Below is the full EuroLeague statement, which suggests that Belgrade's eternal rivals are still being kept on hold.

EuroLeague President Dejan Bodiroga welcomed the attendees, highlighting the hard work clubs have invested over the past decades that has driven unprecedented growth, interest, and momentum for European club basketball.

The meeting continued with a presentation by EuroLeague CEO Chus Bueno, who shared updates on the progress made regarding the approved strategic and 10-year business plans, as well as key strategic priorities. These include the proposed conversion of the current 10-year licenses of the 13 shareholder clubs into permanent franchises, along with expansion opportunities arising from multiple binding offers submitted by leading professional clubs.

The club owners present agreed to move forward with the process of converting current 10-year licenses into franchises for the 13 shareholder clubs: Anadolu Efes, Baskonia, CSKA Moscow, Olimpia Milano, Barcelona, Bayern Munich, Fenerbahce, ASVEL, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Olympiacos, Panathinaikos, Real Madrid, and Zalgiris.

The clubs also agreed to proceed with the process of expanding the number of franchises. Owners authorized the Board of Directors to continue the evaluation process and present a final recommendation for approval in the coming weeks.

VIDEO "EuroLeague is like a movie!" Thompson drops 21, sends strong message ahead of Madrid clash