• ACB.The next mess: "Promotion or the" unfeasible "ACB with 20 teams?"

The possibility that the Endesa League would have 20 teams next season would be "extremely difficult" for the clubs "for a thousand reasons," Antonio Martín, president of the ACB, said Thursday in an interview with Efe in which he considered that " with which it is falling "the most appropriate would be to maintain the current eighteen format without decreases or promotions from LEB Gold.

"Next year, for a thousand reasons, the clubs understand that being 20 with the one that is falling and the one that comes upon us in 2020-2021, is an extreme difficulty and the ideal is that we are 18 for many reasons" between those that highlighted the calendar problems and those of an economic nature.

He is aware that they face a year "very difficult for everyone, not only for basketball" and, although he claims to understand the rights of third parties, he recalls that if there were promotions, the already difficult calendar would be further complicated, to which should be added the uncertainty of when and how a League will start that will be special and in which there may be no public for a few months, "which will have consequences economically ."

"We," he continued, "are more of dialogue than of sending bureaux or making threats before establishing talks and negotiations, but I think that the situation in this sense is not easy and with the interests of both parties it will be difficult to find a meeting area." , because the truth is that we intend a 2020-2021 season of 18 teams ".

The president of the ACB defended the decision that there should be no decreases this year based on the fact that there were quite a few teams involved "and above all because there were eleven days left and 33 percent of the regular league , which is what determines those declines", reason for which they do not see fair that the category could be lost, just as they decided that the title would be deserted if the competition could not be resumed.

Asked how the teams' return to training has gone and the health of the players, who have undergone coronavirus tests and exhaustive medical examinations these days, he noted that they are very satisfied , although they have not yet collected all of them. the data of the clubs on possible affected by the COVID-19.

"The news is very good in the sense that there is not a significant number in the aspect of players who are not suitable for training, which is in the phase that we are in now. The news is very good in all the squads except cases very few of one or two players ", explained Antonio Martín.

In this sense, he made it clear that the ACB will not put training or competition ahead of anyone's health. "Health is an obsession," argued the head of the club's management, who highlighted the work being carried out by the different medical services with exhaustive controls that seek to prevent prevention "from being the best."

Once the twelve teams involved in the fight for the title have returned to training, he said that "the general radiography is frankly good" because they are perceiving the desire to compete "and the deadlines that we set are being met ", although he recalled that You have to scrupulously monitor the conditions to do it "because everything takes time and the players are not machines."

Asked if he sees closer the dispute of the final phase for the title with twelve participants than having to put an end to the League, leaving the title deserted, he said he was "frankly positive" and optimistic, although he recalled that the health scenario "It changes every 24 hours" and there is great uncertainty in all aspects.

"Unfortunately, I do not have a crystal ball, healthily speaking. What my intuition tells me is that we are closer to playing that final phase and it is our desire and that of the clubs. We are closer, everything we are doing in This work is with the philosophy that we are going to play because it is good for everyone, "he replied.

The decision on whether to play the playoff in a single venue and behind closed doors will be made at the end of May, something that he hopes will finally happen. "The public has been without basketball since March and would go until, in principle, September without basketball of any kind and we do not think it is good for anyone, neither for the players nor for the dynamics of the clubs nor for the organization of the League in regarding sponsors and others, "he said.

"We are the best national league in Europe, we are part of Marca España, I think it is a good message to try and go all the way to be able to play this competition and give an example," concluded Martín.

In accordance with the criteria of The Trust Project

Know more

  • Spain
  • sports
  • ACB League

ACB 2019 - 2020 And the ball bounced again (between masks and gloves)

ACB 2019 - 2020This is how the ACB will be resolved: a tournament with 12 teams in a unique venue

ACB 2019 - 2020The mess ahead in Spanish basketball: Promotion or the "unfeasible" ACB with 20 teams?