Agenda before the Europa League Match FIBA
Experienced coach Ergin Ataman, who coaches both our National Men’s Basketball Team and Panathinaikos AKTOR, made important statements. Speaking before his team’s critical match against Partizan on the EuroLeague stage, Ataman put the qualifying format in the 2027 FIBA World Cup on his agenda. The successful coach made serious warnings about the functioning of the current system.
“Even If You Play in the Final, It’s Not a Guarantee”
The successful coach described it as a strange situation that even if it is successful to play in the final of the 2025 European Championship, the qualifying matches have to be played. Arguing that FIBA’s procedure is unreasonable, Ataman expressed his views on the subject with the following words:
“You are a EuroBasket finalist, but it is not guaranteed that you will qualify for the World Cup because you will now play with a different squad. Also, I will not have the same players in this period. It is like gambling. It will be absurd if FIBA insists on continuing with this schedule.”
Different Status Suggestion for Champions
The 59-year-old coach, who expressed good wishes for the Greek National Team in his statements, also shared his solution proposal for the tournament format. Ataman stated that the system should be arranged in favor of elite teams;
“EuroBasket champions and finalists must face second-tier teams for World Cup spots.”
he said.
