By Johnny Askounis/ [email protected]
Following ALBA Berlin, Valencia can be the next team moving on from a longstanding relationship with Euroleague Basketball to join the Basketball Champions League.
Talks with interested parties about the NBA Europe project include the Taronges, according Juan Carlos Villena of local media outlet Las Provincias on Monday.
Confirming recent rumors regarding the future of Valencia in European club continental competitions, the report notes FIBA working to convince the team located on the east coast of Spain to join the Champions League.
On an extensive run in Euroleague Basketball, including three championships in the EuroCup, the second tier under the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, the storied club has yet to make a decision. In a complicated process, featuring talks with both the Euroleague and BCL, the intentions are to finalize a strategic committment before the end of the 2024-25 edition of Spain’s Liga Endesa.
Considering their options, Valencia is seeking the most favorable long-term projections on financial and competitive guarantees, aiming for further club growth after the approaching move to brand new Roig Arena. Staying in the BKT EuroCup has not been ruled out, but currently stands as the less likely route for the 2025-26 campaign.
Access to the EuroLeague amounts to six million euros for a three-year license and thus rules out any other options, as noted by Villena, who also added that NBA Europe plans to launch in 2027.
At 23-9 with two games left in the ACB Regular Season, the team coached by Pedro Martinez ranks third in the standings and has clinched homecourt advantage in the opening round of the Playoffs.