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The 2017 class of the Euroleague Basketball Institute Master in Sports Management Marketing gathered in Venice, Italy, earlier this month to defend their respective theses and celebrate their 10-month journey, which culminated with a graduation ceremony, where they were awarded their hard-earned diplomas. The 20 students who made up the 2017 class arrived from as far afield as the United States of America, Russian Federation, Germany and Turkey.

The students from the EB Institute Masters 11th edition had met several times previously: first at Euroleague Basketball headquarters in Barcelona for the transfer of knowledge from the league’s senior management, then at an academic session in Venice held at Ca Foscari University, followed by the 2017 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Istanbul, where they were taken behind the scenes and attended lectures from industry leaders. The students filled the time in between those in-person encounters with intense e-learning and case study group assignments.

During the fourth session, the students presented a marketing, communication or business plan for their final thesis. This session ended with a graduation ceremony at the Auditorium Santa Margherita, a unique backdrop for the students to round off a year full of memorable events.

“Sitting through the Graduation Ceremony this year has brought back many memories” said Euroleague Basketball Chief Operations Officer, Eduard J. Scott. “In 2005, thanks to the vision of our former Communication Director Ferran Marquez, the first foundations were set for the creation of an innovative blended learning Sports Marketing and Communication program. 10 years after the first edition graduated in 2007, 220 alumni from 38 countries across the globe have come through the EB Institute Master and can now be found excelling in clubs, domestic leagues, federations, marketing agencies, venue managers and event organisers.”

Class valedictorian Matevz Zupancic of Slovenia, who serves as the general manager of Union Olimpija Ljubljana, shared what made the Master special for him. “In my case, the EB Institute Master followed my experience in professional sport and not vice versa. 12 years of experience has been complemented with a rich theoretical background. Some of my already implemented business ideas got firm academic confirmation, others advised me to change or upgrade in the future. A mix of university and Euroleague Basketball approach was a great combination for students to get different types of knowledge, different views, giving us different tasks and different feedback. Like basketball, the EB Institute Master is a team sport. Working in groups on case studies and assignments online and in-person tested our leadership and teamwork abilities. However the biggest added value of the program is gaining precious business and social connections through meeting colleagues from all around Europe. I am looking forward to being a part of the EB Institute Alumni network.”

2017 EB Institute Master Class is 11th generation to graduate in Venice

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The first EuroLeague Team Doctors Meeting could not have been more timely as preparations for a healthy 2020-21 season dominated an agenda that attracted medical professionals from all Turkish Airlines EuroLeague clubs to an in-depth group discussion on Friday.

The meeting, held by video-conference, was part of the 2020-21 EB Institute Annual Workshops, which for a decade have brought together professionals from EuroLeague and EuroCup clubs to exchange information in their specialties and plan collectively for the future.

"The entire priority, goal and philosophy is that the league and the clubs help and support each other, sharing best practices, for the benefit of EuroLeague Team Doctors individually; for the medical staff in our clubs; and ultimately for our clubs as a whole, so that we can help stay healthy and best recover players as well as other club staff in the best way possible," Eduard J. Scott, Euroleague Basketball Chief Operations Officer, said.

The meeting was led by Dr. Ignacio Muro, Euroleague Basketball Medical Officer, who emphasized the crucial importance, after a season that couldn't be completed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, of cooperation between all clubs. "We need to have this network of communication so that the team doctors can talk to each other to know exactly what the situation is in the different cities before traveling next season" Dr. Muro said. "We all need as much information as we can have, as soon as possible." Also of fundamental significance, Dr. Muro affirmed, is the need for team doctors to anticipate providing more medical services than ever to players who were forced to lessen or even stop their athletic activity for the first time in their careers.

Following self-introductions by all the team doctors, there was a guest presentation by Dr. Florian Kainzinger of Think.Health in Germany in which he spoke about the details of the planning and execution of the virus-free "bubble" in which that country's domestic league was able to recently complete a three-week end-of-season tournament in Munich without any COVID-19 positives.

In the context of preventing, diagnosing and treating injuries to which idled players might become more susceptible, Dr. Guy Morag of Maccabi FOX Tel Aviv spoke to the group about advanced knee cartilage surgery. His discussion covered the gamut from lavage to microfracture surgery to transplants and grafts, among other procedures, noting both the key diagnostic questions and the success rates of each.

Dr. Mindaugas Gudelis of FC Barcelona talked about the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of muscle injuries, which are among the most common in professional basketball. Dr. Gudelis broke down the muscle injuries by location, with calves and quadriceps leading the way, and analyzed how different types of injuries even in the same location require distinct treatments, recovery times and subsequent workload modification when a player is able to return to action in three stages: working alone, working with the team and returning to live game performance.

Dr. Ugur Dilicikik of Anadolu Efes Istanbul outlined the day-to-day work of his club medical staff with the team on issues of player health and performance. Dr. Dilicikik cited the critical importance of studying each player as an individual, from both a medical and athletic standpoint, in order to tailor the proper preparation and recovery techniques to his particular medical history and role on the team.

The EB Insitute Annual Workshops continued on Monday with the EuroLeague Head Coaches convening for discussions with Euroleague Basketball executives, to be followed on Tuesday by another session with the Euroleague Basketball officiating department. The EuroCup Head Coaches will meet with the Euroleague Basketball officiating department on Wednesday.

EuroLeague Team doctors join EB Institute annual workshops

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The tipoff to the 2020-21 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague season began this week as professionals in business, ticketing and communications from clubs across the continent met virtually to map out strategies to bring back Europe's most elite basketball stronger than ever to the fans.

The desire to respond to the incompletion of the 2019-20 season due to the COVID-19 pandemic by planning creative and innovative solutions for all stakeholders was evident in the elevated participation by multiple executives from many clubs in each of three meetings on Wednesday and Thursday.

The EuroLeague Business Area Directors Meeting on Wednesday was a three-hour outline of initiatives designed to reignite the means for clubs to recover from the incomplete season and propel themselves and the league into a new and exciting future.

"I want to emphasize how important it is to gather together in these challenging times, how important it is to try to help each other, help the league, help the clubs to overcome the difficulties that we are facing," Jordi Bertomeu, President and CEO of Euroleague Basketball, told the business area directors. "But it's no less important to understand the solutions to the problems we have in front of us, in difficult times, have never been solved individually or by looking back to the past. This is important to remember. Today once again, we will share information, we will have a constructive dialogue and we will try to be creative. But as always, we have to take responsibility for our performance. To have a league like the EuroLeague has one main purpose: the ability to define and reach good common policies that help the growth of the group."

That future will include such steps forward as a Digital Transformation Fund for the clubs to tap in order to engage better and more closely with fans, as well as Pandemic Response Guidelines that specify how Euroleague Basketball and the clubs can overcome the new set of challenges brought on by the pandemic so as to provide a safe and fun environment when doors eventually open for tens of thousands of fans who enjoy EuroLeague games live every week.

A centerpiece of the Business Area Directors meeting was the review of a new, five-year business strategy devised by Euroleague Basketball and its joint-venture partner, IMG, following extensive market research conducted by Deloitte Sports Business Group, to define the EuroLeague's market position for the future. The long-term analysis confirmed that the EuroLeague is impressing fans and stakeholders alike with its authenticity, cultural impact, creativity and pioneering spirit. Those attributes are key elements in new statements of the vision, mission and values that center on the tenacity, humanity, leadership, curiosity and passion that are poised to distinguish the EuroLeague in the sports market of the next decade.

Thursday brought the turns of club media and ticketing directors during separate video-conferences in which they broke down with EuroLeague executives the challenges and solutions of meeting the new business strategy's goals in each of their specialties.

In the morning, the EuroLeague Media Directors Meeting focused on the utmost importance of engagement with fans now and as the action resumes next season through content development that brings players and teams even closer to their loyal supporters. A review of the shortened 2019-20 season revealed higher audiences rates than ever for the EuroLeague across all communications and social media channels, a trend that the league and clubs plan to feed with fresh ideas across multiple platforms. The conversation continued with alternative scenarios to allow the media to cover games when they restart in the fall, but also to keep giving them access to the players and coaches in the lead-up to the new season.

Thursday evening's Ticketing Directors Meeting brought about several lively discussions about how different teams are preparing for the 2020-21 season despite the uncertainty of restrictions related to the COVID-19 pandemic. Enrique Garcia, the business venue director at the AS Roma football club, was a guest for the first part of the meeting. He relayed the different strategies he is employing in these times, including the switch to a completely paperless ticketing system. The second half of the meeting was dedicated to dealing with COVID-19 repercussions and communicating with fans and season-ticket holders, with Marshall Glickman, G2 Strategic CEO, helping to navigate the discussion whilst comparing North American and European practices in the field.

The EB Insitute Annual Workshops continue on Friday with the first meeting to date of all EuroLeague team doctors, then resume next week with the head coaches of both the EuroLeague and the 7DAYS EuroCup convening in institutional sessions of their own as well as sit-downs with the Euroleague Basketball officiating department.

Business, ticketing and media directors tip off EB Institute Workshops

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Protecting the health of players, coaches, referees, other game personnel and club staff members was the focus as doctors from Turkish Airlines EuroLeague clubs came together to discuss medical best practices on Friday as part of the Euroleague Basketball Institute Annual Workshops.

Team doctors focus on players' health at EBI workshop

The day-long session at the competition headquarters in Barcelona was led by Dr. Ignacio Muro and Massimo Simonetta, Euroleague Basketball's Medical Officer and Health & Performance Officer, respectively, and covered a wide range of topics, all designed to ensure that players across the continent are given the best possible medical care.

This was the first time the doctors' meeting has been held in-person, and Dr. Ugur Dilicikik from Anadolu Efes Istanbul greatly appreciated the opportunity to spend time and exchange ideas and expertise with his peers.

"Being able to share our experiences and finding new ideas is a great opportunity for us," he said. "Year by year, there are always new things to learn, especially this season, and it was useful to share the information about the injuries that all teams suffered during the pandemic."

The first item of discussion was an injury and illness summary for the 2020-21 season, which was of course heavily impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.

A number of proposals for new protocols were also on the agenda, including concussion procedures, medical material required for visiting teams, biological therapy and doping tests. There was a particular focus on the ability to respond quickly and effectively to on-court emergencies, highlighted by the recent case of Danish footballer Christian Eriksen.

Managing the ongoing impact of the pandemic remains a live topic, and the club doctors debated ways of managing vaccination programs, the COVID-19 passport and future positive cases in order to agree on new regulations ahead of the 2021-22 season.

Although the doctors are in one sense rivals at the club level, there is a strong sense of camaraderie within the group as they work together to find the best ways to care for all players.

As Dr. Mindaugas Gudelis from FC Barcelona said: "It's very important to share our experiences about managing injuries and illnesses, and to understand the problems that different clubs have encountered. The goal of our meeting is to learn how we can look after the players, to share our knowledge and make every possible improvement.

"EuroLeague is getting stronger every year and we are doing the same – sharing, learning and growing together. There are lots of things we can do and it's important to have the same protocols and make good decisions for the future to make sure the players are protected."

Medical Officers Meeting in Barcelona

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Head coaches from the 7DAYS EuroCup came together at the Euroleague Basketball Institute Annual Workshops in Barcelona this week to discuss the new look and rising status of the competition heading into the new 2021-22 season.

EuroCup coaches plan for new-look competition

The EuroCup has a revamped format for the coming campaign, with an 18-game regular season followed by single-game knockout rounds from the round of 16 onwards.

Evgeny Pashutin of Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar is particularly excited by the new structure for the latter stages, saying: "For sure, it will be more pressure because it’s win or go out. You have to be ready for each game and everybody will have to be sharp: players, coaches, organizations, everyone. It will be really interesting for fans and the media, and I am excited about it."

The bulk of the EuroCup coaches' workshop was an in-depth discussion with the competition's officiating department, allowing both sides to go into detail about how the game rules are interpreted and applied to make the on-court action better each season. The session was led by Richard Stokes, Euroleague Basketball's Senior Director of Officiating, who started by emphasizing the importance of ensuring that players, coaches and officials all have the same expectations in the interpretation and application of the rules.

Later in the session, there were video analyses of several foul situations, including the defensive semi-circle, act of shooting, landing space for shooters, traveling, post play and screening, with the aim of reducing misunderstandings and further strengthening the important relationship between coaches and officials.

Carles Duran of Joventut Badalona said: "There is a lot of communication between coaches and referees, especially with Richard Stokes, who is always open to having fluid communication. It is super-important that we all have the same criteria, and this is the right moment for us all to meet so that we have no doubts once the season starts. I believe the organization does its best to have that fluid communication."

Nenad Canak of Lietkabelis Panevezys added: "It is always important to try to understand things better. For sure, it is very helpful for us, coaches, to clarify some things. I think that the most important thing that coaches must have is good communication with the referees during the game. This is really important in basketball."

Head Coaches Meeting in Barcelona

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The Euroleague Basketball Institute Annual Workshops tipped off with meetings for the head coaches of Turkish Airlines EuroLeague clubs in Barcelona on Monday and Tuesday.


EuroLeague coaches look to future at annual workshop

Monday's first session was opened by Jordi Bertomeu, Euroleague Basketball President and CEO Jordi Bertomeu, announcing Ergin Ataman of Anadolu Efes Istanbul as the winner of the Alexander Gomelskiy Coach of the Year award, as chosen by his peers in the room.

Bertomeu was also keen to thank the coaches for their important contributions to completing a full and exciting 2020-21 season despite the unprecedented circumstances of the COVID-19 pandemic.

"In the difficult situation, we had to take some uncomfortable decisions, but we wanted to finish the season according to the calendar for the benefit of all the clubs, players and fans," Bertomeu said. "I am very grateful to all of you for your cooperation during this challenging season."

The session continued with an overview of the action on the continent's courts over the past 12 months, from the uncertainty of last summer to the eventual finale in Cologne, with an emphasis on the uniquely competitive nature of the season.

The evolution of the EuroLeague was discussed, too, as the coaches were shown details of how the competition's five-year-old joint venture partnership with IMG has led to a marked improvement in the quality of the product for fans to enjoy through television coverage and digital content.

The coaches also heard about the organization's plans for the next few years, with an emphasis on the importance of continuing to connect with digital audiences, making deeper investments into the quality of the product, and ensuring clubs operate with sustainable business models, a priority for both the league and individual clubs.

Concerning the upcoming 2021-22 season, head coaches heard about why FC Bayern Munich and LDLC ASVEL Villeurbanne are becoming EuroLeague licensed teams and about the wild card status of ALBA Berlin, Crvena Zvezda mts Belgrade and Zenit St Petersburg. They were also given an overview of the season calendar and some of the complexities involved in its execution, such as varying arena availability, preferences of television partners, and the aim of regularizing the travel demands placed upon players.

All the topics discussed were aimed at continuing to give fans the best possible experience of the game. Georgios Bartzokas of Olympiacos Piraeus spoke for all his fellow coaches in expressing his hope that those fans will be able to return to arenas next season: "We have a very special connection as a club, as a team, with our fans. You know how very important our warm crowd is for Olympiacos. And every coach has the same opinion – fans are very important for the atmosphere of the game."

The workshop continued with a day-long meeting on Tuesday with the competition's officiating department. The session was led by Richard Stokes, Euroleague Basketball's Senior Director of Officiating, and allowed the coaches and officials to analyze together the intricate details of the on-court action to gain a shared perspective on how best to interpret the rules to make the game even more exciting for the fans.

Dimitris Priftis, head coach of EuroLeague returnee UNICS Kazan, explained why sitting down with the officiating department is invaluable: "The meeting with the referees is a long one and also very helpful. We clear up some things, exchange some opinions and express our questions to the officiating department. Building a better relationship with the referees is very important because they are a part of the game and we need to cooperate with them. We are not in separate positions. We are not opponents. We have to be friends and build a good relationship with them."

Andrea Trinchieri of FC Bayern Munich summed up the positive mood of the workshop as he said: "There are a lot of things going on and I believe that hearing what is coming in the future for the EuroLeague is very important in order to adjust because being capable of adjusting is the most important thing – how to play, how you build a roster, which are the goals of the EuroLeague, how to expand and implement the whole product."



Head Coaches Meeting in Barcelona 

The Euroleague Basketball Institute Annual Workshops tipped off with meetings for the head coaches of Turkish Airlines EuroLeague clubs in Barcelona on Monday and Tuesday.

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The annual Euroleague Basketball Institute Annual Workshops, which bring together coaches, players and club executives from a range of specialties to collaborate on plans for the future in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 7DAYS EuroCup, are set to tip off next week for the 2021-22 season.


EBI Workshops arrive to plan new season

All discussions during the workshops, which last from June to September, are aimed at enhancing the standards of the competitions across all categories for the purpose of making each and every game experience more exciting for the fans.

EuroLeague head coaches will open the workshops when they meet on Monday, June 21, and Tuesday, June 22, in Barcelona, Spain, to discuss their views on the future in the competition. Included in their gathering is a day-long session with the Euroleague Basketball Officiating Department to review the season just finished and look at how rules and their interpretations can make the game better in the upcoming season. Head coaches from the EuroCup will meet with the Officiating Department on Wednesday, June 23.

For the second season in a row and the first time in person, all EuroLeague team doctors will gather in Barcelona on Friday, June 25, to exchange ideas on injury prevention and treatment of players, as well as to further their efforts in guaranteeing the health and safety of all game participants, including fans, during the ongoing pandemic and beyond.

Following the most dramatic season in competition history, media directors from all 18 EuroLeague clubs open the second week of workshops by meeting virtually on Monday, June 28, with a focus on innovative ways of delivering all that drama across ever-expanding communications platforms and bringing fans closer and closer to the action and the stars.

The EuroLeague's marketing and ticketing directors take the floor the next day with separate virtual sessions that share the mutual aim of offering both current and prospective partners and ticket-buyers a range of options and services that not only meet their current needs but anticipate new ways of connecting them with the game.

On Wednesday, July 7, the EuroLeague Clubs Business Meeting in Barcelona gathers executives from across the continent for two days' worth of discussions on best practices in the sports market and strategies for enhancing earnings in a pandemic-altered business climate.

The workshops resume in early September with four more collectives, headed by EuroLeague Players Association representatives for each team, making their contributions to the planning process. The players will take part, as well, in the two-day One Team Annual Workshop to strengthen the future impact of Euroleague Basketball's renowned corporate social responsibility program. EuroLeague security directors and EuroCup media directors will complete the workshop agenda in September, just in time for all parties to hit the ground running for the new 2021-22 season!

The annual Euroleague Basketball Institute Annual Workshops, which bring together coaches, players and club executives from a range of specialties to collaborate on plans for the future in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and 7DAYS EuroCup, are set to tip off next week for the 2021-22 season.

Euroleague Basketball and Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) have officially opened the application process for the 2021-23 Sports Business MBA by EB Institute.

Application registration starts for 5th Sports Business MBA by EB Institute

The blended-learning MBA allows existing and aspiring professionals in the sports industry to enhance their knowledge without sacrificing work commitments. It also provides engaging networking opportunities, starting with fellow students from different parts of the world and different academic and industry backgrounds, continuing to the interaction at in-person sessions with sports professionals, and extending to access to all 251 EB Institute alumni, many of them already working in the sports industry.

The Sports Business MBA focuses on a modern approach to sports business, consisting of six modules over three academic semesters, including internship and group work opportunities, before submitting a final MBA thesis. Students will obtain both systemic understanding and working knowledge of all major areas of contemporary sports: Business, Marketing, Communication, Management, Economics & Finance, Law & Governance.

In addition to the six VMU module leaders and Euroleague Basketball senior management who deliver curricular content, six guest academics and six industry experts will share their knowledge and experience to inspire students' minds. The guest academics hail from Pantheon-Sorbonne University in Paris, the University of Bologna, Birkbeck University of London and LaSalle URL in Barcelona.

The MBA consists of four knowledge transfer sessions, starting in September 2021 with the first in-person session, which will take place at Euroleague Basketball's headquarters in Barcelona, Spain, where the students will meet and learn from Euroleague Basketball executives.

In January 2022, the second in-person session will take students to VMU's campus and Zalgiris Kaunas in Kaunas, Lithuania, to focus on the academic course components and learn from the club and arena management.

The third in-person session falls in May 2022 at the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four, where students experience full immersion by spending five days behind the scenes at one of the largest sports events in the world and also listening to presentations from a selection of industry leaders.

In January 2023, the fourth in-person session will take place on VMU's campus in Kaunas, Lithuania, where students will defend their MBA Thesis during a Viva, as well as celebrate a graduation ceremony in the basketball heartland of Lithuania.

Students enrolling for the course will be equipped with all of the necessary tools to become professionals in a broad range of sporting companies, organisations and endeavours, including clubs, leagues, international and national federations, sports marketing agencies, sponsors, technology providers and media outlets, to name a few. The course awards 90 ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) to graduates.

The applications for the Sports Business MBA must be submitted by July 31, 2021.

[Apply Now](https://www.sportsbusinessmba.net/)

The 2021 class of the Sports Business MBA by EB Institute has successfully graduated after going through 16 months of hard work.

EB Institute celebrates latest group of graduates

Their efforts culminated in mid-January, when the students defended their final master theses in front of a commission led by Rita Bendaraviciene, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Management at Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania. The panel also included all six module leaders and Euroleague Basketball representatives.

One of the students was Gediminas Navickas, a former professional player who is now coordinates the Zalgiris Kaunas youth program. He explained the value of the program, saying: "For me it was very important to understand the basic ecosystem of sports business. I see a lot of this in the Zalgiris office but the background of sports business, that's what I learned in the program. I needed this and it was really valuable for me."

The journey for this group of students started at Euroleague Basketball headquarters in Barcelona back in September 2019, with a week of sessions giving an insight into the daily operations of a major international sports league by interacting with Euroleague Basketball executives, including a roundtable discussion with Jordi Bertomeu, Euroleague Basketball President and CEO. The students also had their first contact with the module leaders, who introduced their respective online modules.

Christie Miliordou from Greece, who now plans to pursue a career focusing on mental health in sports, appreciated that personal touch, saying: "The most important for me was the people I met, people from different nationalities, different backgrounds. A lot of people from the sports world, experts, people from Euroleague, and I really enjoyed collaborating with these people because we did a lot of team projects."



"This is a life-changing experience," he said. "You grow not only as a professional within the sports business with but also as a human being. If you plan to elevate yourself to the next level in the sports industry, this is the place to be."



The latest edition of the Sports Business MBA by EB Institute got underway last week in an online tip-off meeting, with 18 students from 10 different countries starting a journey that will conclude in June 2022.


Sports Business MBA underway with online tip-off session

The start of the 2020-22 program, which works with Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania to equip students with advanced professional knowledge and skills in the field of sports business management, was postponed due to the Covid-19 virus but is now fully up and running.

At Monday's first session, Rita Bendaraviciene, Dean of the Faculty of Economics and Management at Vytautas Magnus University, welcomed the students, who were then introduced to the program structure, grading system, timetable and the e-learning platform.

The students then had the opportunity to ask questions in a roundtable discussion with Jordi Bertomeu, Euroleague Basketball President and CEO, as well as interacting with Euroleague Basketball senior executives who delivered presentations. They included Roser Queralto (Chief Business Officer), Alex Ferrer (Marketing & Communications), Jose Luis Rosa-Medina (Corporate Partnerships & Licensing), Luca Scafati (Business Operations) and Abi Martin (Corporate Social Responsibility and Development).

One of the students is Akeem Vargas, a former ALBA Berlin guard and ex-German international who is still playing in Germany with BG Goettingen. He is starting to look forward to his post-playing days by taking the Sports Business MBA, and said:



"It's a multicultural program that's built on great networking experience and the knowledge of a great university. The first week has been absolutely amazing. Great content, great knowledge, and what I liked most about the video conferences is that you can ask questions, dig deep and, when you really want to know something, they will always have an answer that they are willing to share with you."

Another member of the playing community is Lea Favre, who is studying the program while recovering from injury after playing college basketball in the United States. She said: "The first week was very interesting. It was dense, a lot of information, but they did it so well with all the presentations. They made sure it was interactive, we could speak, ask questions, we had some videos to watch. Overall it was very good and I'm excited to start."



Many of the other students are hoping to use the program as an entry path into the sports industry, such as Philipp Roedel from Germany who said: “If I dedicate so much of my free time after work to studying I think it should be focused on a topic I’m really passionate about, which is the case with sport and particularly basketball. That’s why I decided the program by Euroleague Basketball Institute and Vytautas Magnus University would be the right one for me. My hope before I started the program, and I think it’s a realistic one, is that the program will enable me to move into the sports industry in the future. I think the program will definitely provide me the tools that are needed to be successful in this industry.”

Similarly, Alex Volanti from Italy noted: "The presentations were really in-depth, going into details, and they were super-eager to answer our questions. I was impressed by the organization they have, by the roadmap they have, how they are taking the key points and going to the direction for a bright future. They are taking a new generation, a new digital approach. I really liked the direction things are going in and I think it will be very successful."



The students will now continue to interact with Vytautas Magnus University professors, guest academics and industry experts over the next 15 weeks to complete three online modules and prepare a scientific-research-applied project.

The second session will then take place in Cologne during the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in May, when students will defend their term paper, attend presentations from industry leaders and gain a unique behind-the-scenes experience at one of the biggest sporting events in Europe.

The latest edition of the Sports Business MBA by EB Institute got underway last week in an online tip-off meeting, with 18 students from 10 different countries starting a journey that will conclude in June 2022.

7DAYS EuroCup head coaches came together on Wednesday to look forward to 2020-21 regular season in the last meeting of the July sessions of the Euroleague Basketball Institute Annual Workshops.

7DAYS EuroCup head coaches prep upcoming season

The central feature of the meeting was a discussion with the Euroleague Basketball officiating department to review on-court situations in order to reach a common understanding of what are the best ways to enhance the game with the best interests of the fans uppermost in everyone's mind.



To that end, the head coaches saw a review of officiating issues and statistics based on the incomplete 2019-20 season, which ended prematurely prior to the quarterfinal phase due to the COVID-19 global pandemic.

Richard Stokes, Euroleague Basketball Senior Director, Officiating, presided over the meeting and outlined changes to the Official Basketball Rules that will come into effect next season.

Then the coaches engaged in a series of six discussions of officiating criteria, each lasting from one-half to one hour. The issues covered were unsportsmanlike fouls; act of shooting and jump-shot landing space; freedom of movement off the ball; freedom of movement in post play; travelling; and behavioral issues including flopping.

"After one of the best EuroCup seasons yet was cut short unexpectedly, it's gratifying to see the EuroCup head coaches at work together already to revive the aspirations of their clubs and the fans," Jordi Bertomeu, President and CEO of Euroleague Basketball, said. "The 7DAYS EuroCup will enter in its 19th season next September and the outstanding level of coaching we witness every year is fundamental to understand the relevance and level of the competition."

Their meeting fell two days before the coaches learn the names of their first opponents next season at the 7DAYS EuroCup Draw for the 2020-21 regular season. The 2020-21 7DAYS EuroCup features 24 teams from 15 countries. Friday's draw starts at 13:15 CEST and will be streamed live at the official Euroleague Basketball channel on YouTube, on the official EuroCup Facebook page, and at EuroCupbasketball.com.



The Euroleague Basketball Institute Sports Business MBA tipped off its new program earlier this month in a welcome meeting, with 16 students from nine different countries starting a journey in conjunction with Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania that will conclude in January 2023.


Tipoff for new EB Institute Sports Business MBA

The Euroleague Basketball Institute Sports Business MBA tipped off its new program earlier this month in a welcome meeting, with 16 students from nine different countries starting a journey in conjunction with Vytautas Magnus University in Lithuania that will conclude in January 2023.

Due to safety protocols the first session took place online, with the students being introduced to the program structure, the e-learning platform and the six online modules they will follow. They also received presentations from Euroleague Basketball executives including Jordi Bertomeu, Euroleague Basketball CEO.

One student, Victor Gomez, captured the motivations of many of the group as he explained why he signed up for the program:

"It's kind of like a romantic story because I was lucky enough to be in the Final Four in Vitoria, and when I was there, working in the events industry, I felt that somehow at one point in my life I should be working close to the basketball environment, because since I'm a kid I've been a basketball fan, playing, coaching. And then unfortunately because of COVID I had more time, so it was the perfect timing to dedicate myself to the studies of the MBA."

Mikhail Ratts, from Russia, added: "I like the program a lot because it gives a great overview of how the business operates. It gives a great structure in terms of knowledge because nowadays you have a lot of information but it's sometimes hard to structure it, and this is what the program provides. So far it's going pretty well; my expectations are met."

It is planned for the remainder of the program to follow an in-person format, including two sessions in Kaunas and a series of events at the 2022 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Final Four in Berlin.

Throughout the program, the students will interact with Vytautas Magnus University professors, guest academics and industry experts to follow their online modules and prepare a scientific-research-applied project, before culminating with their final thesis.

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