Euroleague Basketball and the EuroLeague Players Association (ELPA) announced on Thursday an update of the EuroLeague Framework Agreement (EFA) that entered into force in July 2021. The updated EFA will be in force through the end of the 2023-24 season.

Euroleague Basketball and ELPA update collective agreement

Euroleague Basketball and ELPA have been negotiating consistently to adapt the EFA with an understanding that the agreement should evolve to reflect the continuous conversations between the different parties. The agreement seeks to standardize the relationships between players, clubs and the league by creating a consistent framework and defining what they can count on from each other.



The EuroLeague Clubs Commission played an active role in the negotiations. A collective of top player representation agencies was also consulted and lent support to the EFA modifications.



The EFA signed in 2021 is the first of its kind in pan-European basketball and has become a reference for team sports in general on the continent.



Among the areas in which the updated agreement has been adjusted are:



· Length of the preseason

· Insurance for players' families

· Standardized medical services

· Performance bonus ceiling

· Clarification on the duration of contracts

· Regulated image, commercial and promotional activities



The updated EFA, which is a compulsory minimum standard for all participating EuroLeague clubs and players, is applicable to the extent that it does not contradict mandatory laws and regulations within the countries of the clubs.

Imbroda had a long, fruitful coaching career, taking two different teams, Unicaja Malaga and Caja San Fernando, to the EuroLeague. He began his coaching career with Maristas Malaga, which he guided to promotion to the Spanish elite. Once Maristas merged with the other Malaga-based team, Caja de Ronda, Unicaja was born and he was chosen to guide the team. Imbroda led Unicaja to the 1995 Spanish League finals, opening the doors to its EuroLeague debut in the 1995-96 campaign.

Imbroda went on to coach Caja San Fernando to the Spanish League finals and the Spanish Copa del Rey championship game in 1999. Imbroda also coached the Seville-based team in the 1999-00 EuroLeague. He coached Real Madrid in the 2002-03 EuroLeague campaign and also spent time as the head of bench with Valladolid and Menorca. Imbroda was a Lithuanian national team's assistant coach in 1992, helping it win its first-ever Olympic bronze medal in 1992. He coached the Spanish national team to a bronze medal at EuroBasket 2001 and a fifth-place finish at the 2002 World Cup. More recently, Imbroda worked for the Andalusian regional government as Head of Sports and Education.

May he rest in peace.

Euroleague Basketball joins the Spanish and European basketball family in mourning Javier Imbroda, who died at age 61. 

Euroleague Basketball mourns Javier Imbroda

The deal also sees IMG ARENA extend its relationship with Euroleague Basketball to capture live game data in stadia from over 500 matches a season from the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 7DAYS EuroCup. IMG ARENA will distribute FastPath Data to hundreds of licensed sportsbook operators around the world in under a second. 

The partnership extension builds on Euroleague Basketball's exponential growth on all audience verticals during the last three seasons, with a remarkable 75% growth in TV viewership, over 20% in social media followers and over 25% in on-line viewership.

Roser Queralto, Chief Business Officer of Euroleague Basketball, said: “IMG ARENA is an undisputed leader in the creation, productization and distribution of sports content, and we are delighted not only to renew but bring our collaboration one step further. This is a significant commercial partnership that helps grow the game with thrilling content reaching new audiences and driving fan engagement around the world.” 

Freddie Longe, EVP and Managing Director of IMG ARENA, said: “We are delighted to extend our long-standing partnership with Euroleague Basketball, one of the world’s leading basketball leagues. With its global footprint and loyal fan-base, Euroleague Basketball is an essential part of the sports betting eco-system. Our renewed partnership demonstrates the commercial confidence on both sides and establishes a renewed platform for even greater success and innovation.”

Headquartered in London, IMG ARENA is a sports content and technology hub serving the sports, sports betting and sports media eco-systems. IMG ARENA delivers live streaming and data feeds for more than 45,000 sports events annually, as well as for on-demand virtual sports products and front-end solutions including the UFC Event Centre. IMG ARENA’s clients include the ATP, UFC, European Tour, PGA Tour, MLS and the FA.

IMG ARENA, a leading sports content and technology business, has extended its longstanding partnership with Euroleague Basketball for live streaming rights for the sports betting industry marking a decade of collaboration between both companies.

IMG ARENA extends and evolves longstanding Euroleague Basketball partnership

1\. To withdraw the participation of Russian Federation teams in both the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (CSKA Moscow, UNICS Kazan, Zenit St Petersburg) and the 7DAYS EuroCup (Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar) for the 2021-22 season, as the situation in Ukraine has not evolved in a favorable way.

2\. As announced after the [ECA Shareholders Executive Board held on February 28th, 2022](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/decisions-by-the-eca-shareholders-executive-board/), all regular season game results versus Russian teams will be removed from any calculation of EuroLeague and EuroCup team standings. The updated standings without Russian teams can be found here:

[Turkish Airlines EuroLeague](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/standings/)

[7DAYS EuroCup](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/standings/)

The ECA Shareholders Executive Board took the following decisions with regard to the war in Ukraine:

ECA Shareholders Executive Board decision on participation of Russian teams

Euroleague Basketball announced today that it has frozen its marketing partnership with VTB Bank until further notice amid the war initiated by the Russian Federation in Ukraine.

Euroleague Basketball freezes its contractual relationship with VTB Bank

This decision will cease, at least temporarily, the presence of the VTB Bank brand in the organization's competitions, the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and the 7DAYS EuroCup, and its association with EuroLeague and EuroCup clubs, players and coaches.

Earlier on Monday, [the ECA Shareholders Executive Board decided to suspend all EuroLeague and EuroCup games](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/decisions-by-the-eca-shareholders-executive-board) in which Russian Federation teams are due to participate.

1\. To suspend participation of Russian Federation teams in both the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (CSKA Moscow, UNICS Kazan, Zenit St Petersburg) and the 7DAYS EuroCup (Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar).

2\. Euroleague Basketball to continuously monitor the evolution of the situation. Should the situation not evolve in a favorable way, all regular season games versus Russian teams to be annulled to configure the leagues' standings.

Euroleague Basketball and its clubs reiterate their firm commitment towards peace, against any acts of violence or war, and will continue to use their voice to promote respect, inclusion and diversity, values that sit at the core of the organization and its teams.

The ECA Shareholders Executive Board, meeting remotely on Monday, February 28, took the following decisions with regards to the war in Ukraine:

Decisions by the ECA Shareholders Executive Board

1- To define a plan that temporarily moves all games scheduled to be played on Russian soil to other venues outside of Russian Federation territory, except the games Zenit St Petersburg vs. UNICS Kazan and Zenit St Petersburg vs. CSKA Moscow to be played on March 22 and April 1, respectively. 

2- Games involving Russian teams scheduled to be played in non-Russian territory will continue to be played as scheduled.

3- The CSKA Moscow vs. FC Barcelona game that was scheduled to be played on Sunday, February 27, is suspended.

Euroleague Basketball will analyze the different alternatives to implement the decisions and will submit the plan to the ECA Shareholders Executive Board for approval.

The decisions have been taken to protect the integrity and continuity of the competition, allowing the teams to continue to defend their right to compete on the court, isolating the sport from any political actions. Likewise, the above decisions are in line with Euroleague Basketball’s ultimate priority, which is its responsibility of protecting the integrity of players, coaches, fans and staff without taking the slightest risk.

Euroleague Basketball will continue to monitor the situation, including any regulations imposed by national and international authorities, and will adopt any necessary changes to the above decisions if needed.

The decisions will be shared with the EuroCup clubs ahead of next week’s games and should be applied to that competition as well.

Euroleague Basketball, on behalf of its clubs, wants to strongly condemn any acts of war as the ones that are sadly happening in Ukraine. The clubs remain united in their purpose of using the power of basketball to unite communities. Euroleague Basketball embraces and celebrates diversity, which is widely present within its communities and at the core of all the teams themselves. Such diversity is understood to be deeply linked to the value of respect, promoting the free expression of different opinions. Violence of any kind is contrary to such values and is neither tolerated nor accepted as a way to defend anyone’s opinion or position.

The 18 teams competing in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, meeting remotely on Friday, have taken the following decisions:

Decisions of the 18 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague teams

•FC Bayern Munich vs. CSKA Moscow

•Bitci Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. UNICS Kazan

•Zenit St Petersburg vs. FC Barcelona

The decision has been taken by the Euroleague Basketball CEO as a precautionary measure according to Article 151 of the EuroLeague Bylaws and ahead of the meeting that the 18 teams of the competition will have on Friday, February 25, 2022.

The following games corresponding to Round 27 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague have been suspended:


Bayern vs. CSKA, Baskonia vs. UNICS and Zenit vs. Barcelona suspended

[Download here the updated 2021-22 Health & Safety Protocols](http://ftpserver.euroleague.net/general/22_EB_Health_Safety_Protocol_v1_2.pdf)

The modifications respond to the decreased number of infected individuals across the league based on the analysis performed by the league’s medical officers. This analysis has shown that the spread of the Omicron variant of the virus has decelerated in recent weeks.

Among the modifications found in the updated version of the Health and Safety Protocols are: 

The use of facemask by team members on the bench is now optional

Individuals who are vaccinated or have previously tested positive for COVID-19 and subsequently received medical clearance will be exempt from pre and post-game PCR /RAT.

The maximum number of individuals per zone will not be limited.

The modifications to the Health & Safety Protocols will be applied to both the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and the 7DAYS EuroCup with immediate effect and aim to protect and promote the regularity and fairness of the competitions.

Euroleague Basketball would like to announce that the 2021-22 Health and Safety Protocols have been modified to reflect the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic.