Russian basketball teams banned from next season’s EuroLeague
The decision, taken due to logistical problems, directly affects CSKA Moscow, UNICS Kazan and Zenit St. Petersburg.
Russian teams have been suspended from playing in next season’s EuroLeague basketball competitions, following the country’s invasion of Ukraine, organisers said on Thursday. The invasion, which Moscow insists is a “special military operation”, has led to logistical problems, Euroleague said.
“The decision is taken due to the increasing difficulties for teams to play games against teams from that country, which include air travel restrictions and prohibitions or other limitations to issuing visas to Russian residents,” the Euroleague board said in a statement.
Euroleague Basketball runs the top two continental men’s club competitions, EuroLeague and EuroCup. The 18-team league had three Russian participants last season: Up until recently, CSKA Moscow were allowed to take part in the EuroLeague on a long-term license while UNICS Kazan and Zenit St. Petersburg participated on a one-season/wild card basis. Their results were annulled after Russia invaded Ukraine in February. The organisation earlier suspended Russian teams from its championships and froze its sponsorship deal with Russia’s VTB Bank for the 2021-22 season in March. CSKA and Maccabi Tel Aviv were the only two clubs to vote in favour of Russian teams’ inclusion in EuroLeague competitions next season.
CSKA president and CEO Andrey Vatutin said he was disappointed with the decision. “This is a political decision. Most Euroleague clubs are convinced that the governments of their countries will not allow them to play against Russian teams. I’m sure there are no winners here. By the way, Jordi Bertomeu also noted that this is a forced political step, from which everyone loses, and the league was stronger with CSKA,” he said in a statement.