For the first time in many years, the Basketball Bundesliga is starting the new season with only 17 clubs. Because no club from the Second League Pro A, apart from the Skyliners Frankfurt, met the requirements, there is only one promoted team. Even the wildcard procedure, which has been used frequently in the past, did not produce an 18th representative for the season that begins this Friday (8 p.m./Dyn) with the game between Bayern Munich and Niners Chemnitz.
A situation that has caused mixed feelings among the Bundesliga clubs. The smaller clubs in particular are struggling with the fact that this means they will lose a home game and the associated income. “This is a situation that we have to correct, because there are enough clubs in Germany for a strong sporting competition with 18 participants,” said Braunschweig’s managing director Nils Mittmann in a survey by the German Press Agency.
On the way to even greater professionalism, the league has, together with the clubs, tightened the licensing conditions. For the coming season, a minimum budget of 3.5 million euros is required. Indoor standards must also be met – requirements that ambitious second division teams such as Trier or Karlsruhe could not meet.
Wood: Standards will not be relaxed
In an interview with the trade magazine “BIG”, BBL managing director Stefan Holz described the situation with 17 clubs as “absolutely unsatisfactory”. “I don’t really want to get used to an odd number, but it’s a reality,” said Holz. Relaxing the standards just to play with 18 teams as usual is out of the question for him. “These are not up for discussion,” said Holz. There will also be no “transitional periods for promoted teams” in the future.
While the smaller clubs are missing out on income from a home game, the smaller league suits the top clubs. “From a sporting perspective, we have two fewer weekends, so two fewer games. This is obviously better for the team because of the regeneration,” said Bayern Munich’s managing director Marko Pesic. Like Alba Berlin, Bayern are also challenged in the Euroleague with 34 games in the main round alone.
The higher standards are good overall for the development of the league. “This is the only way we can take basketball step by step to a higher level,” said Bayern President Herbert Hainer. Alba Managing Director Marco Baldi agrees: “It is not the number of teams that will move the BBL forward, but the sporting and economic quality of its teams and the league management.”
© dpa-infocom, dpa:240919-930-236794/1
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