Civil War 7
Interview: FIBA secretary general Patrick Baumann
FIBA secretary general Patrick Baumann spoke to BallinEurope’s Emmet Ryan shortly after the conclusion of the Irish men’s cup final at the end of January in Dublin. The key takeaways from the discussion included support for a global players union, opposing conceding ground on Eurocup with Euroleague, the role of 3×3, and a look at […]
Irish MEP wades into basketball’s civil war
There was a surprising development in the conflict between Euroleague and FIBA last week as Irish MEP Seán Kelly, former president of the GAA in Ireland, was one of 31 signatories on a letter to the European Commission that sided heavily with FIBA. BiE’s Emmet Ryan spoke to both Kelly and Euroleague COO Eduard Scott […]
The price of peace has never been lower
FIBA and Euroleague have been at loggerheads for a while. It serves no-one any good but the dispute shows little sign of resolution. Emmet Ryan is more than tired of the fighting and it’s time for both sides to end the animosity. The solution is obvious, all it takes is being willing to make the […]
Let’s do more than lunch – How collaboration can spur European basketball
In part four of our long-form series on the civil war in European basketball, Emmet Ryan looks at the benefits real collaboration between FIBA and Euroleague would bring and examines the obstacles the war has created Check out Part 1, Part 2, and Part 3 It turns out 2 June was THE day in European […]
The Basketball Champions League – FIBA’s brand of hard ball
After a lengthy absence, part three of BallinEurope’s look at the civil war in European basketball continues with analysis of what the Champions League actually means for the sport. For past coverage check out Emmet Ryan’s features on the problems with a closed shop Euroleague and the need for a strong Eurocup FIBA wants back […]
Fighting Football is foolish aka why Eurocup is vital
In the second part of out longform series on the business of basketball, Emmet Ryan looks at the vital role a secondary competition such as Eurocup plays in the overall growth of basketball in Europe. Part one, on the Euroleague proposal for next season, is here Football is big and people with money know this […]
Closing off sense – Euroleague, Champions League, and market stagnation
In the first of a series of pieces looking at the business and marketing of European basketball, Emmet Ryan reacts to the news that Euroleague may fully close off entry to the new 16 team competition The civil war has been ugly. The fans have been left hanging by and large. Money talks, naturally, but […]