Laporta to lead Barcelona delegation at key EuroLeague summit in Italy

Barcelona president Joan Laporta will travel to Italy to represent the club at a pivotal EuroLeague summit, where the competition’s 13 owners will consider whether to remain under their current model or engage with the National Basketball Association (NBA) over a potential takeover.

The summit will be held tomorrow and the day after tomorrow on Lake Como. Laporta was initially considering delegating Barcelona’s representation to board member Sisco Pujol, who leads the club’s basketball section, and chief executive officer Xavier O’Callaghan.

He has instead decided to attend personally because of the importance of the meeting and the decision it could produce. Laporta’s intention is to listen to the discussions and exchange views before determining Barcelona’s final position.

The clubs face two broad options. They can remain in the EuroLeague, keeping control of the competition in the hands of its owners while implementing their existing business plan. Alternatively, they can accept the strongest financial and administrative offer from the NBA, while recognising that such an agreement would mean giving up complete control of the competition and adopting an American business model.

The gathering is designed to give the owners a direct voice and build greater trust between them. Three main issues are expected to be addressed: moving from a licensing system to a franchise model for the 13 owners; assessing proposals to expand the competition and the process for admitting new franchises; and deciding whether talks with the NBA should continue or be abandoned in favour of the clubs retaining control of the EuroLeague.

Laporta’s decision to make the journey follows a significant meeting in Copenhagen earlier this week during a gathering of the European Football Clubs (EFC). There, he met NBA deputy commissioner Mark Tatum, who had travelled to Denmark to explain the advantages and investment opportunities offered by the NBA’s European project to football clubs with elite basketball teams.

The meeting included representatives of Barcelona, Real Madrid and Bayern Munich. The NBA also wants to persuade Paris Saint-Germain and AC Milan to join the proposed new structure.

Laporta has developed a detailed understanding of the American project through ongoing discussions with Pau Gasol. The Spanish basketball great is a former Barcelona player and an NBA star who played for the Memphis Grizzlies, Los Angeles Lakers, Chicago Bulls, San Antonio Spurs and Milwaukee Bucks.

NBA Europe plan targets 12 cities

The NBA Europe proposal is based on establishing a presence in 12 major cities: Barcelona, Madrid, Athens, Rome, Milan, London, Paris, Berlin, Munich, Istanbul, Manchester and Lyon.

Those locations would form the core of a 16-team league, with four additional clubs joining through competitive bids. The NBA is targeting major football clubs because of their global popularity and their extensive experience in marketing and commercially developing sports competitions.

Barcelona is also awaiting the start of construction on the new Palau Blaugrana. The club has confirmed that the project will not financially affect Espai Barca. One possible arrangement would involve a company building the venue and then operating it for events for between 35 and 40 years under a concession agreement.

Barcelona’s participation in an NBA Europe competition would be a major attraction for investors interested in constructing the new arena. The club, however, wants to hear all sides before choosing between the NBA’s proposals and the EuroLeague.