EuroLeague CEO Paulius Motiejunas hinted he wants to see Maccabi Tel Aviv returning to playing home games in Israel, also mentioned situation with Russian clubs, saying
EuroLeague CEO Paulius Motiejunas has expressed his desire to see Maccabi Tel Aviv play their home games in Israel again. Speaking to the Lithuanian media outlet Krepsinis.net, Motiejunas emphasized the significance of home-court advantage.
"As a former EuroLeague team GM, I understand how crucial it is to play in front of your home fans," he said. "Practicing and competing away from home is not the same experience. We want to see them return to normal, benefiting from their home crowd and the revenue that comes with it."
However, Motiejunas stressed that safety remains the top priority before allowing a return to Israel.
"As CEO, I want the situation to normalize as soon as possible, but at the same time, we must ensure it is safe to do so," he stated.
Motiejunas also addressed recent remarks made by EuroLeague Coaches Board director Goran Savic regarding the potential return of Russian teams to the competition next season.
"We are used to Goran Savic’s comments, which do not align with EuroLeague’s stance," Motiejunas said. "I don’t believe his remarks represent the views of all EuroLeague coaches either."
"This is one individual’s opinion, which we choose to disregard. Everyone is entitled to their own views, but this does not reflect EuroLeague’s position."
He added that discussions with Russian club officials are ongoing, but there are no current plans for their return.
"We are in constant communication with the management of Russian teams, assessing the situation. As of now, nothing has changed, so there is no reason to discuss their return at this moment," Motiejunas concluded.
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