Euroleague Basketball, the entity that manages the two main European men’s basketball competitions, approved on Tuesday the establishment of a roadblock to the Euroleague play-offs, from which Russian clubs will always be excluded.
Following the invasion of Ukraine by the Russian army in February 2022, Euroleague Basketball had already decided to suspend all Russian clubs for the 2022/2023 season, both in Euroleague (C1) and in Eurocup (C2). A decision, according to a press release, renewed following a general meeting held on Tuesday, again for the two competitions.
In parallel, the Euroleague Basketball has also approved the establishment of a play-off round of accession, called “play-in” for the next season of the prestigious European Cup. This format will see the teams ranked 7th to 10th at the end of the regular season compete for a place in the Euroleague play-offs. The formula is as follows: the 7th and 8th ranked teams face off in a dry match. The winner advances directly to the quarter-finals while the loser will face the winner of the duel between the 9th and 10th, to afford the second ticket.
The “play-in” format had already been definitively adopted in the NBA last season, after two test seasons.