Dispute about annulment of the results
Exactly this question, how to deal with the already played games of the Russian clubs, was the last dispute. Some clubs, especially those that had won head-to-head matches with Russian clubs, felt disadvantaged by the annulment of those results, which was pre-decided at the beginning of March. Above all, Fenerbahce Istanbul called for a quotient rule, as practiced in the German Ice Hockey League, for example, in which victories are set in relation to the number of games played. The vote of the 13 voting clubs, which act as shareholders of the Euroleague, was extremely close at the beginning of March with 7:6.
CSKA Moscow is a shareholder of the Euroleague
Behind the scenes, however, there has long been another pressing question that will last beyond the season: How should the Euroleague deal with Russian clubs in the future as long as Putin’s troops are at war in Ukraine? Zenit Saint Petersburg and Unics Kazan are not permanent members of the Euroleague, which is organized as a purely private club association. With the so-called A license clubs as shareholders, who have a fixed starting place. CSKA Moscow is one of them. The exclusion of a shareholder should not be provided for in the Euroleague statutes, CSKA could at most withdraw voluntarily.
National player Voigtmann no longer in Moscow
The Russian top club, previously a permanent guest in the Final Four, has already had to let all foreign professionals go, including German national player Johannes Voigtmann. Putting together a team for the new season is likely to be made even more difficult due to the sanctions against Russia and the international ban on Russian sport.
It seems difficult to imagine that the club, which carries on the name of the former Russian army sports club, would compete in a major European professional league as long as Russia’s attacks on Ukraine continue. Zalgiris Kaunas, the top club from Lithuania – a country that feels directly threatened by the aggressor in the Kremlin – is also on the Euroleague board.
Source: sid/mixa