The eleven clubs that are part of the ECA (Euroleague Commercial Assets), managing entity of the Euroleague, have agreed to strengthen their control mechanisms of the direction of this body at the end of the meeting held this Monday in Barcelona. This responds to the demands that seven of those clubs agreed to in a parallel meeting in Athens last week in which they showed their discomfort over the financial management by CEO Jordi Bertomeu.
In the brief note made public by the Euroleague It only speaks of “commitment to unity” by all partners and “taking the necessary steps to continue building success” but a final point is added in which the key decision is clear.
“The Euroleague will propose measures for a greater integration of the eleven clubs within the governing structure of all the collective properties in the next meeting of the shareholders of the ECA”, reads the note.
The regulations of the Euroleague It foresees that its head will see his position and powers renewed for one year if the club-owners do not express themselves against it before May 10. That has never happened in the 20 years that Jordi Bertomeu has led the Euroleague but it is just what has just happened now, with the seven clubs sending seven letters to the Euroleague to block the automatic renewal of the CEO.
The seven ‘rebel’ clubs are the Maccabi Tel Aviv, the Olympiacos, the Panathinaikos, the Zalgiris, the Armani Milan, the Anadolu Efes and the CSKA Moscow. The other four owners of the Euroleague (Real Madrid, Barça, Baskonia Y Fenerbahçe) were not invited to the previous meeting.