A message has been causing excitement in the basketball landscape for some time. A club from Dubai could soon take part in the most important European competition, the Euroleague.
This is the newly founded Dubai Basketball Club, which does not even have players yet. Although the exact entry date is not yet known, talks have been going on for months.
“Negotiations with the Euroleague started eight months ago with the aim of adding a club from Dubai to the prestigious competition and hosting certain matches in the city,” said franchise owner Abdullah al-Naboodah.
A first major basketball event could be held in the United Arab Emirates as early as next year. Dubai is considered a possible host of the Euroleague Final Four 2023.
But that’s not all: there is even speculation that the sheikhs could take over the entire Euroleague, so to speak. Turkish Airlines is contractually bound as the main sponsor until 2025, after which Emirates could take over the naming rights.
“The purpose of the visit was to exchange ideas and identify opportunities for possible cooperation,” said Euroleague Managing Director Marshall Glickman after a recent trip to Dubai, which was also attended by Bayern Munich’s Managing Director Marko Pesic: “It’s still too early to go into details. We look forward to continuing the talks.”
