Euroleague CEO to Visit Israel as Club Owners Meet in Italy

The Euroleague Owners' meeting commenced Monday at Lake Como, Italy, where several franchise licenses are expected to be approved starting next season. Thirteen teams are competing for eight permanent licenses, including Israeli clubs Hapoel Tel Aviv and Hapoel Jerusalem. However, it is widely anticipated that neither Israeli team will secure a license this week, likely facing a later decision.

During the meetings, Shimon Mizrahi met with Euroleague CEO and Competition Manager the Competition Manager to discuss the return of games for the three Israeli teams participating in the Euroleague. The Euroleague CEO and the Competition Manager are scheduled to visit Israel early next week, according to Maccabi Tel Aviv.

Maccabi Tel Aviv is pursuing a two-pronged strategy. Initially, they are seeking approval to move games from Belgrade to Cyprus, a move also being pursued by Hapoel Tel Aviv and Hapoel Jerusalem. There is concern, however, that if the Euroleague approves a move to Cyprus, a return of games to Israel this season might be off the table. Consequently, the club is considering prioritizing the return of games to Israel, with Cyprus as a fallback option.

The club recalled that last year the Euroleague CEO approved the return of games to Israel, and they are hopeful the current CEO will make a similar decision, as the chances of passing such a move by a vote are not high. "A lot depends on him," a source stated.

Representing Maccabi Tel Aviv in Italy are Chairman Shimon Mizrahi and businessman Jason Levin. Levin's entry into the club's management is currently the subject of arbitration among the club's owners. According to various sources, Levin holds 7.5 percent of the club, purchased from the Rakefet family, a transaction that did not grant other owners pre-emptive rights. The desire to bring Levin in as a senior partner arose recently, with one objective being for him to represent the team at Euroleague meetings.