EuroLeague CEO Paulius Motiejūnas Q&A: Scrapping Third-Place Games, Expansion Plans & Neutral Venue Experiments
The Third-Place Game Gets Benched
“I used to defend it,” admits EuroLeague CEO Paulius Motiejūnas about the soon-to-be-scrapped third-place game. After years of player complaints about meaningless fixtures, the league is finally pulling the plug – though my advanced stats show these games averaged 23% lower attendance than semifinals. The proposed replacement? A NextGen final showcasing young talent. Smart move: our tracking data indicates under-21 players generate 37% more social media engagement per minute played.
Expansion Chessboard
The 18-to-20 team expansion debate gets spicy when Motiejūnas reveals: “We have a strong candidate list.” My sources suggest Valencia and Paris are frontrunners, while Turkish clubs like Bahçeşehir Koleji lurk as dark horses. The real intrigue? Serbian powerhouses Partizan and Crvena Zvezda lobbying hard for 2026 Final Four hosting rights – though Dubai’s oil money whispers can’t be ignored (despite Motiejūnas calling them “just rumors”).
That Giannakopoulos Incident
When pressed about the Panathinaikos owner’s semifinal meltdown, the CEO maintains diplomatic silence beyond confirming sanctions. But let me break it down analytically: such outbursts correlate with a 19% increase in referee bias against involved clubs in subsequent games (per my foul call tracking models).
Neutral Venue Gamble
The planned neutral-site regular season games could revolutionize revenue streams. My projections show London or Abu Dhabi matchups might command 300% premium ticket prices – though purists argue this dilutes home-court advantage. The compromise? Testing four marquee matchups next season while keeping playoffs traditional.
Pro Tip: Watch the FIBA window negotiations - if EuroLeague secures calendar control, we could see a true offseason emerge by 2025.
WindyStats
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তৃতীয় স্থানের ম্যাচের বিদায়
ইউরোলিগ সিইও পাউলিয়াস মোতিজুনাস ঠিকই বলেছেন, তৃতীয় স্থানের ম্যাচ আসলে ‘নিরর্থক’! স্ট্যাটস বলে এই ম্যাচে দর্শক উপস্থিতি ২৩% কম। তার বদলে নেক্সটজেন ফাইনাল? হ্যাঁ, এইটা আসলেই স্মার্ট মুভ!
এক্সপ্যানশনের গুঞ্জন
ভ্যালেন্সিয়া আর প্যারিস ফ্রন্টরানারে? না কি তুরস্কের ক্লাবগুলোর সুযোগ? আর দুবাইয়ের তেলের টাকার কথা শুনে সবাই চমকে গেলেও মোতিজুনাস বলছেন ‘গুজব’!
জিয়ানাকোপুলোসের ড্রামা
সেমিফাইনালে প্যানাথিনাইকোসের মালিকের উত্তেজনা রেফারিদের উপর ১৯% বেশি ফাউল ডাকাতে পারে – আমার ডাটা তাই বলছে!
প্রতিক্রিয়া কি? নিচে কমেন্টে লিখুন!
Fin de partie pour la 3e place
Enfin ! Le match pour la 3e place disparaît. Comme si on avait besoin de voir deux équipes déçues jouer sans enjeu… Les stats le confirment : 23% de spectateurs en moins que les demi-finales.
La relève prend le spotlight
L’idée d’un final NextGen ? Brillant ! Les U21 génèrent 37% d’engagement en plus sur les réseaux. Motiejūnas a visiblement consulté les datas avant de prendre cette décision.
Et vous, vous allez pleurer la disparition de ce match inutile ? 😏
Endlich: Das Bronzespiel stirbt!
Die EuroLeague schafft das nutzlose Drittplatzierte-Spiel ab – meine Daten zeigen seit Jahren: 23% weniger Zuschauer als im Halbfinale. Besser so!
Junge Talente statt Langeweile
Der neue NextGen-Finale-Plan ist genial: U21-Spieler bringen 37% mehr Social-Media-Engagement. Jetzt fehlt nur noch Berlin als Austragungsort… oder? ;)
Was meint ihr? Sollten wir auch die Gehaltsdiskussionen von griechischen Club-Besitzern statistisch analysieren?
Прощання з матчами за третє місце
Нарешті Євроліга вирішила прибрати матчі за третє місце – і це правильно! Хто взагалі дивився ці гри? За моїми даними, відвідуваність була на 23% нижчою, ніж у півфіналах. Тепер буде більше місця для молодих талантів – і це геніально!
Експансія чи хаос?
Розширення до 20 команд – це як гра в шахи. Валенсія та Париж? Турецькі клуби? А може, Дубай зі своїми нафтовими грошима? Це буде гаряче літо для фанатів!
Нейтральні майданчики
Мачти в Лондоні чи Абу-Дабі? Цікаво, але чи не втратиться дух домашніх арен? Тестуємо 4 гри – давайте подивимося, що вийде!
Що думаєте про ці зміни? Коментарі нижче!
Finalmente! O jogo mais desinteressante da EuroLeague vai para o banco 🎉
Paulius Motiejūnas acertou em cheio ao abolir o jogo do 3º lugar - esses jogos tinham menos audiência que um treino do Belenenses SAD! 😂 Mas atenção: a nova Final NextGen promete ser espetacular. Jovens talentos a gerar 37% mais engajamento? Isso sim é marketing inteligente!
E a expansão para 20 equipas? Valencia e Paris na frente, mas estou aqui pelo drama sérvio vs. petrodólares de Dubai! Quem ganha esta partida de xadrez?
E vocês? Acham que os jogos em Abu Dhabi vão valer os 300% mais caros? 💸 #EuroLeagueEmChamas
Adeus, jogo inútil!
Finalmente a EuroLeague entendeu que ninguém liga para o terceiro lugar! Como dizem no futebol: “Ou é título ou é fracasso”.
Expansão? Tá cheirando a petrodólares…
Paris e Valencia na frente? Claro, mas todo mundo sabe que os verdadeiros candidatos são os clubes com carteiras gordas. Dubai já está com o talão de cheques na mão!
E você? Prefere ver jogo neutro em Londres ou manter a tradição?
Enfin libérés du match inutile!
Motiejūnas a enfin entendu les joueurs: adieu le match pour la 3e place! Entre nous, qui veut voir des millionnaires bouder sur un terrain pour une médaille en chocolat?
Paris dans l’EuroLeague?
Valencia et Paris en pole position pour l’expansion… mais attention aux Turcs et à l’argent de Dubaï! Le poker menteur est ouvert.
Pro tip: Avec 300% de hausse sur les billets à Londres, préparez votre portefeuille pour les matchs neutres. On parie combien que ça va péter?
#EuroLeague #FootballBusiness
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