Head coaches from the 7DAYS EuroCup came together at the Euroleague Basketball Institute Annual Workshops in Barcelona this week to discuss the new look and rising status of the competition heading into the new 2021-22 season.

EuroCup coaches plan for new-look competition

The EuroCup has a revamped format for the coming campaign, with an 18-game regular season followed by single-game knockout rounds from the round of 16 onwards.

Evgeny Pashutin of Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar is particularly excited by the new structure for the latter stages, saying: "For sure, it will be more pressure because it’s win or go out. You have to be ready for each game and everybody will have to be sharp: players, coaches, organizations, everyone. It will be really interesting for fans and the media, and I am excited about it."

The bulk of the EuroCup coaches' workshop was an in-depth discussion with the competition's officiating department, allowing both sides to go into detail about how the game rules are interpreted and applied to make the on-court action better each season. The session was led by Richard Stokes, Euroleague Basketball's Senior Director of Officiating, who started by emphasizing the importance of ensuring that players, coaches and officials all have the same expectations in the interpretation and application of the rules.

Later in the session, there were video analyses of several foul situations, including the defensive semi-circle, act of shooting, landing space for shooters, traveling, post play and screening, with the aim of reducing misunderstandings and further strengthening the important relationship between coaches and officials.

Carles Duran of Joventut Badalona said: "There is a lot of communication between coaches and referees, especially with Richard Stokes, who is always open to having fluid communication. It is super-important that we all have the same criteria, and this is the right moment for us all to meet so that we have no doubts once the season starts. I believe the organization does its best to have that fluid communication."

Nenad Canak of Lietkabelis Panevezys added: "It is always important to try to understand things better. For sure, it is very helpful for us, coaches, to clarify some things. I think that the most important thing that coaches must have is good communication with the referees during the game. This is really important in basketball."

Head Coaches Meeting in Barcelona

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The Euroleague Basketball Institute Annual Workshops tipped off with meetings for the head coaches of Turkish Airlines EuroLeague clubs in Barcelona on Monday and Tuesday.


EuroLeague coaches look to future at annual workshop

Monday's first session was opened by Jordi Bertomeu, Euroleague Basketball President and CEO Jordi Bertomeu, announcing Ergin Ataman of Anadolu Efes Istanbul as the winner of the Alexander Gomelskiy Coach of the Year award, as chosen by his peers in the room.

Bertomeu was also keen to thank the coaches for their important contributions to completing a full and exciting 2020-21 season despite the unprecedented circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"In the difficult situation, we had to take some uncomfortable decisions, but we wanted to finish the season according to the calendar for the benefit of all the clubs, players and fans," Bertomeu said. "I am very grateful to all of you for your cooperation during this challenging season."

The session continued with an overview of the action on the continent's courts over the past 12 months, from the uncertainty of last summer to the eventual finale in Cologne, with an emphasis on the uniquely competitive nature of the season.

The evolution of the EuroLeague was discussed, too, as the coaches were shown details of how the competition's five-year-old joint venture partnership with IMG has led to a marked improvement in the quality of the product for fans to enjoy through television coverage and digital content.

The coaches also heard about the organization's plans for the next few years, with an emphasis on the importance of continuing to connect with digital audiences, making deeper investments into the quality of the product, and ensuring clubs operate with sustainable business models, a priority for both the league and individual clubs.

Concerning the upcoming 2021-22 season, head coaches heard about why FC Bayern Munich and LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne are becoming EuroLeague licensed teams and about the wild card status of ALBA Berlin, Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade and Zenit St Petersburg. They were also given an overview of the season calendar and some of the complexities involved in its execution, such as varying arena availability, preferences of television partners, and the aim of regularizing the travel demands placed upon players.

All the topics discussed were aimed at continuing to give fans the best possible experience of the game. Georgios Bartzokas of Olympiacos Piraeus spoke for all his fellow coaches in expressing his hope that those fans will be able to return to arenas next season: "We have a very special connection as a club, as a team, with our fans. You know how very important our warm crowd is for Olympiacos. And every coach has the same opinion – fans are very important for the atmosphere of the game."

The workshop continued with a day-long meeting on Tuesday with the competition's officiating department. The session was led by Richard Stokes, Euroleague Basketball's Senior Director of Officiating, and allowed the coaches and officials to analyze together the intricate details of the on-court action to gain a shared perspective on how best to interpret the rules to make the game even more exciting for the fans.

Dimitris Priftis, head coach of EuroLeague returnee UNICS Kazan, explained why sitting down with the officiating department is invaluable: "The meeting with the referees is a long one and also very helpful. We clear up some things, exchange some opinions and express our questions to the officiating department. Building a better relationship with the referees is very important because they are a part of the game and we need to cooperate with them. We are not in separate positions. We are not opponents. We have to be friends and build a good relationship with them."

Andrea Trinchieri of FC Bayern Munich summed up the positive mood of the workshop as he said: "There are a lot of things going on and I believe that hearing what is coming in the future for the EuroLeague is very important in order to adjust because being capable of adjusting is the most important thing – how to play, how you build a roster, which are the goals of the EuroLeague, how to expand and implement the whole product."



Head Coaches Meeting in Barcelona 

The Euroleague Basketball Institute Annual Workshops tipped off with meetings for the head coaches of Turkish Airlines EuroLeague clubs in Barcelona on Monday and Tuesday.

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The annual Euroleague Basketball Institute Annual Workshops, which bring together coaches, players and club executives from a range of specialties to collaborate on plans for the future in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 7DAYS EuroCup, are set to tip off next week for the 2021-22 season.


EBI Workshops arrive to plan new season

All discussions during the workshops, which last from June to September, are aimed at enhancing the standards of the competitions across all categories for the purpose of making each and every game experience more exciting for the fans.

EuroLeague head coaches will open the workshops when they meet on Monday, June 21, and Tuesday, June 22, in Barcelona, Spain, to discuss their views on the future in the competition. Included in their gathering is a day-long session with the Euroleague Basketball Officiating Department to review the season just finished and look at how rules and their interpretations can make the game better in the upcoming season. Head coaches from the EuroCup will meet with the Officiating Department on Wednesday, June 23.

For the second season in a row and the first time in person, all EuroLeague team doctors will gather in Barcelona on Friday, June 25, to exchange ideas on injury prevention and treatment of players, as well as to further their efforts in guaranteeing the health and safety of all game participants, including fans, during the ongoing pandemic and beyond.

Following the most dramatic season in competition history, media directors from all 18 EuroLeague clubs open the second week of workshops by meeting virtually on Monday, June 28, with a focus on innovative ways of delivering all that drama across ever-expanding communications platforms and bringing fans closer and closer to the action and the stars.

The EuroLeague's marketing and ticketing directors take the floor the next day with separate virtual sessions that share the mutual aim of offering both current and prospective partners and ticket-buyers a range of options and services that not only meet their current needs but anticipate new ways of connecting them with the game.

On Wednesday, July 7, the EuroLeague Clubs Business Meeting in Barcelona gathers executives from across the continent for two days' worth of discussions on best practices in the sports market and strategies for enhancing earnings in a pandemic-altered business climate.

The workshops resume in early September with four more collectives, headed by EuroLeague Players Association representatives for each team, making their contributions to the planning process. The players will take part, as well, in the two-day One Team Annual Workshop to strengthen the future impact of Euroleague Basketball's renowned corporate social responsibility program. EuroLeague security directors and EuroCup media directors will complete the workshop agenda in September, just in time for all parties to hit the ground running for the new 2021-22 season!

The annual Euroleague Basketball Institute Annual Workshops, which bring together coaches, players and club executives from a range of specialties to collaborate on plans for the future in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 7DAYS EuroCup, are set to tip off next week for the 2021-22 season.

Euroleague Basketball and Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) have officially opened the application process for the 2021-23 Sports Business MBA by EB Institute.

Application registration starts for 5th Sports Business MBA by EB Institute

The blended-learning MBA allows existing and aspiring professionals in the sports industry to enhance their knowledge without sacrificing work commitments. It also provides engaging networking opportunities, starting with fellow students from different parts of the world and different academic and industry backgrounds, continuing to the interaction at in-person sessions with sports professionals, and extending to access to all 251 EB Institute alumni, many of them already working in the sports industry.

The Sports Business MBA focuses on a modern approach to sports business, consisting of six modules over three academic semesters, including internship and group work opportunities, before submitting a final MBA thesis. Students will obtain both systemic understanding and working knowledge of all major areas of contemporary sports: Business, Marketing, Communication, Management, Economics & Finance, Law & Governance.

In addition to the six VMU module leaders and Euroleague Basketball senior management who deliver curricular content, six guest academics and six industry experts will share their knowledge and experience to inspire students' minds. The guest academics hail from Pantheon-Sorbonne University in Paris, the University of Bologna, Birkbeck University of London and LaSalle URL in Barcelona.

The MBA consists of four knowledge transfer sessions, starting in September 2021 with the first in-person session, which will take place at Euroleague Basketball's headquarters in Barcelona, Spain, where the students will meet and learn from Euroleague Basketball executives.

In January 2022, the second in-person session will take students to VMU's campus and Zalgiris Kaunas in Kaunas, Lithuania, to focus on the academic course components and learn from the club and arena management.

The third in-person session falls in May 2022 at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four, where students experience full immersion by spending five days behind the scenes at one of the largest sports events in the world and also listening to presentations from a selection of industry leaders.

In January 2023, the fourth in-person session will take place on VMU's campus in Kaunas, Lithuania, where students will defend their MBA Thesis during a Viva, as well as celebrate a graduation ceremony in the basketball heartland of Lithuania.

Students enrolling for the course will be equipped with all of the necessary tools to become professionals in a broad range of sporting companies, organisations and endeavours, including clubs, leagues, international and national federations, sports marketing agencies, sponsors, technology providers and media outlets, to name a few. The course awards 90 ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) to graduates.

The applications for the Sports Business MBA must be submitted by July 31, 2021.

[Apply Now](https://www.sportsbusinessmba.net/)

The 2021 class of the Sports Business MBA by EB Institute has successfully graduated after going through 16 months of hard work.

EB Institute celebrates latest group of graduates

Their efforts culminated in mid-January, when the students defended their final master theses in front of a commission led by Rita Bendaraviciene, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Management at Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania. The panel also included all six module leaders and Euroleague Basketball representatives.

One of the students was Gediminas Navickas, a former professional player who is now coordinates the Zalgiris Kaunas youth program. He explained the value of the program, saying: "For me it was very important to understand the basic ecosystem of sports business. I see a lot of this in the Zalgiris office but the background of sports business, that's what I learned in the program. I needed this and it was really valuable for me."

The journey for this group of students started at Euroleague Basketball headquarters in Barcelona back in September 2019, with a week of sessions giving an insight into the daily operations of a major international sports league by interacting with Euroleague Basketball executives, including a roundtable discussion with Jordi Bertomeu, Euroleague Basketball President and CEO. The students also had their first contact with the module leaders, who introduced their respective online modules.

Christie Miliordou from Greece, who now plans to pursue a career focusing on mental health in sports, appreciated that personal touch, saying: "The most important for me was the people I met, people from different nationalities, different backgrounds. A lot of people from the sports world, experts, people from Euroleague, and I really enjoyed collaborating with these people because we did a lot of team projects."

"This is a life-changing experience," he said. "You grow not only as a professional within the sports business with but also as a human being. If you plan to elevate yourself to the next level in the sports industry, this is the place to be."

The latest edition of the Sports Business MBA by EB Institute got underway last week in an online tip-off meeting, with 18 students from 10 different countries starting a journey that will conclude in June 2022.


Sports Business MBA underway with online tip-off session

The start of the 2020-22 program, which works with Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania to equip students with advanced professional knowledge and skills in the field of sports business management, was postponed due to the Covid-19 virus but is now fully up and running.

At Monday's first session, Rita Bendaraviciene, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Management at Vytautas Magnus University, welcomed the students, who were then introduced to the program structure, grading system, timetable and the e-learning platform.

The students then had the opportunity to ask questions in a roundtable discussion with Jordi Bertomeu, Euroleague Basketball President and CEO, as well as interacting with Euroleague Basketball senior executives who delivered presentations. They included Roser Queralto (Chief Business Officer), Alex Ferrer (Marketing & Communications), Jose Luis Rosa-Medina (Corporate Partnerships & Licensing), Luca Scafati (Business Operations) and Abi Martin (Corporate Social Responsibility and Development).

One of the students is Akeem Vargas, a former ALBA Berlin guard and ex-German international who is still playing in Germany with BG Goettingen. He is starting to look forward to his post-playing days by taking the Sports Business MBA, and said: "It's a multicultural program that's built on great networking experience and the knowledge of a great university. The first week has been absolutely amazing. Great content, great knowledge, and what I liked most about the video conferences is that you can ask questions, dig deep and, when you really want to know something, they will always have an answer that they are willing to share with you."

Another member of the playing community is Lea Favre, who is studying the program while recovering from injury after playing college basketball in the United States. She said: "The first week was very interesting. It was dense, a lot of information, but they did it so well with all the presentations. They made sure it was interactive, we could speak, ask questions, we had some videos to watch. Overall it was very good and I'm excited to start."

Many of the other students are hoping to use the program as an entry path into the sports industry, such as Philipp Roedel from Germany who said: “If I dedicate so much of my free time after work to studying I think it should be focused on a topic I’m really passionate about, which is the case with sport and particularly basketball. That’s why I decided the program by Euroleague Basketball Institute and Vytautas Magnus University would be the right one for me. My hope before I started the program, and I think it’s a realistic one, is that the program will enable me to move into the sports industry in the future. I think the program will definitely provide me the tools that are needed to be successful in this industry.”

Similarly, Alex Volanti from Italy noted: "The presentations were really in-depth, going into details, and they were super-eager to answer our questions. I was impressed by the organization they have, by the roadmap they have, how they are taking the key points and going to the direction for a bright future. They are taking a new generation, a new digital approach. I really liked the direction things are going in and I think it will be very successful."

The students will now continue to interact with Vytautas Magnus University professors, guest academics and industry experts over the next 15 weeks to complete three online modules and prepare a scientific-research-applied project.

The second session will then take place in Cologne during the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in May, when students will defend their term paper, attend presentations from industry leaders and gain a unique behind-the-scenes experience at one of the biggest sporting events in Europe.

The latest edition of the Sports Business MBA by EB Institute got underway last week in an online tip-off meeting, with 18 students from 10 different countries starting a journey that will conclude in June 2022.

7DAYS EuroCup head coaches came together on Wednesday to look forward to 2020-21 regular season in the last meeting of the July sessions of the Euroleague Basketball Institute Annual Workshops.

7DAYS EuroCup head coaches prep upcoming season

The central feature of the meeting was a discussion with the Euroleague Basketball officiating department to review on-court situations in order to reach a common understanding of what are the best ways to enhance the game with the best interests of the fans uppermost in everyone's mind.



To that end, the head coaches saw a review of officiating issues and statistics based on the incomplete 2019-20 season, which ended prematurely prior to the quarterfinal phase due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Richard Stokes, Euroleague Basketball Senior Director, Officiating, presided over the meeting and outlined changes to the Official Basketball Rules that will come into effect next season.

Then the coaches engaged in a series of six discussions of officiating criteria, each lasting from one-half to one hour. The issues covered were unsportsmanlike fouls; act of shooting and jump-shot landing space; freedom of movement off the ball; freedom of movement in post play; travelling; and behavioral issues including flopping.

"After one of the best EuroCup seasons yet was cut short unexpectedly, it's gratifying to see the EuroCup head coaches at work together already to revive the aspirations of their clubs and the fans," Jordi Bertomeu, President and CEO of Euroleague Basketball, said. "The 7DAYS EuroCup will enter in its 19th season next September and the outstanding level of coaching we witness every year is fundamental to understand the relevance and level of the competition."

Their meeting fell two days before the coaches learn the names of their first opponents next season at the 7DAYS EuroCup Draw for the 2020-21 regular season. The 2020-21 7DAYS EuroCup features 24 teams from 15 countries. Friday's draw starts at 13:15 CEST and will be streamed live at the official Euroleague Basketball channel on YouTube, on the official EuroCup Facebook page, and at EuroCupbasketball.com.



The Euroleague Basketball Institute Annual Workshops continued apace on Monday and Tuesday as head coaches from throughout the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague met with Euroleague Basketball executives to discuss the steps forward to the competition's return for the 2020-21 season, starting on October 1.

EuroLeague head coaches take the stage at EB Institute Annual Workshops

They met to discuss the steps forward to the competition's return for the 2020-21 season, starting on October 1.

The gathering honors a long tradition of exchange between Euroleague Basketball and its important stakeholders, in this case head coaches, who met virtually for more than 12 hours over two days to talk about everything from finances to flopping and multiple subjects in between.

Jordi Bertomeu, Euroleague Basketball's President and CEO, opened Monday's institutional meeting by updating the coaches on the organization's objective to reaching a European Framework Agreement with the EuroLeague Head Coaches Board (EHCB), keeping the health and safety of all participants as a priority going forward, as it was when the 2019-20 season was canceled before completion due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

"Coaches are more than stakeholders in the EuroLeague; they are an integral part of making our game better each season for the fans," Mr. Bertomeu said. "As such, we value the input and opinions they express at these annual meetings and throughout the year. Their concerns are our concerns, and we cherish the opportunity to work together to resolve them."

The head coaches were also briefed on the EuroLeague brand strategy and positioning, building on the authenticity, cultural impact, creativity and pioneering spirit that long-term market research showed to be the values identified with the EuroLeague by fans and stakeholders alike.

Next, they received a review of the competition's finances, including breakdowns of the general revenue sources and expense structures of the clubs, along with Euroleague Basketball's efforts for clubs to achieve the necessary economic stability needed to foster consistent long-term growth for all participants.

Several EHCB proposals, including the introduction of the Euroleague Basketball Dispute Resolution Chamber, were put into place last season, which ended with a settlement agreement between the clubs and head coaches when the season was cancelled. They discussed EuroLeague club proposals to introduce force majeure contract protection mechanisms in the uncertain economic environment due to COVID-19 while all parties continue to work on a European Framework Agreement.

Dr. Ignacio Muro, Euroleague Basketball Medical Officer, shared the study made of club medical staffs this past season, discussing the varying requirements from public health authorities in different countries due to COVID-19.

The coaches were back together on Tuesday to meet with Richard Stokes, Euroleague Basketball Senior Director, Officiating, to analyze in-game situations so as to have a common understanding of rules and their interpretations going into the new season. Among the issues discussed in their eight-hour session were rule changes, unsportsmanlike fouls, landing space on jump shots, freedom of movement situations, travelling violations and behavioral issues including flopping.

The July sessions of the EB Institute Annual Workshops will conclude on Wednesday with a meeting of 7DAYS EuroCup head coaches with the Euroleague Basketball officiating department. The workshops will continue in early September with meetings of EuroLeague players, security managers and One Team representatives.



The Euroleague Basketball Institute Annual Workshops continued apace on Monday and Tuesday as head coaches from throughout the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague met with Euroleague Basketball executives.

The 2018-20 and 2019-21 classes of the Sports Business MBA came together for the first time in Kaunas, Lithuania, for their respective fourth and second in-person sessions. The Sports Business MBA class of 2021 was the first to arrive and the students started their week by presenting midterm papers, which they had prepared during the first part of their studies under the supervision of the module leaders. The students also heard the first lectures of the following modules, sports management, sports economics & finance, and sports law & governance.

"Overall I’m very happy, relieved and really excited because I had to keep up with all the assignments and deadlines in such a demanding program and I was able to do it," said Eleni Manoura, a former basketball player and office coordinator at Mondera.

"It was hard in the beginning, but now I feel more confident with the topics and I believe that I will gain a lot of knowledge in this program," added Artem Pervyi, the director of Eastern Europe sports consulting at Nomos LLC.

The students also had some fun and group bonding with a beer tasting session at the Volfas Engelmann brewery and a trip to Trakai and Vilnius before continuing the transfer of knowledge from the Zalgiris Kaunas senior managers. The students learned from presentations and practical knowledge on topics such as marketing, ticketing, experience economy, strategy, communication and sports analytics. They also benefitted from a behind-the-scenes tour of one of Europe’s best basketball arenas, Zalgirio Arena.

"It was very interesting! Zalgiris Kaunas is like a phenomenon at this moment, they give you the possibility to understand how this is possible, how they made this possible," exclaimed Michele Diracca, marketing intern at Aquila Basket Trento.

For the class of 2020, it was the culmination of a unique learning experience that started at Euroleague Basketball headquarters in Barcelona back in September of 2018. The students defended their final master thesis in front of a commission led by the Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Management of Vytautas Magnus University. After successfully graduating, students collected their graduation caps and gowns for the graduation ceremony in the University’s Big Hall, where they received their respective diplomas.

"It just feels amazing to be able to finish the program," Begum Unal, production coordinator at DAZN Germany, said. "This program lets you meet a lot of great minds from sports and basketball as well and it helps you to deepen your knowledge on the field."

"Honestly, I feel much more confident in myself because I got a lot of practical knowledge, which I already implemented in my job," said Oleksiy Yefimov, General Manager of AS Monaco Basket.

Both classes ended the intense week with the wonderful experience of attending a Turkish Airlines EuroLeague game at the sold-out Zalgirio Arena.

Sports Business MBA classes meet in Kaunas for in-person sessions

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