At the Head Coaches Board in Antalya, we’ve the opportunity to talk with Ioannis Sfairopoulos about his leadership regarding the coaches board, about Euroleague in general and some other key point of the season.
Off the record you said to us “I miss basketball”: we miss you too! It’s strange not seeing you on a bench of EuroLeague teams. Do you feel something weird not to coach in first person?
Not at all. I think it’s a matter of circumstances and, as everybody saw and understood, the fields is very tight. Ther’s been not so many changes of coaches, so not a lot of possibilities to make rotations. From the other side I had some options and some criteria to cooperate with clubs that give me the conditions to make my job so, whenever I’ll find these circumstances, I’ll cooperate with them.
From preseason or also during the season?
Now during the season, because all teams found their coaches or kept same coaches. Unfortunately it’s strange now. If something happens during the season and someone wants to change coach like I did in my last season… I don’t know. Probably it’ll be something for the next season.
According to your quotes, last EuroLeague season was more balanced and compact at highest level but the average level was not previous years’ one. How can you explain your words?
I said it was more competitive, teams were very close to each other to win or to lose: we saw Olympiacos’ road, which showed great stability during the season, but I feel that level of basketball was lower compared with, let’s say, 5 years ago. The reason is because all best european players has been moving to NBA. From the other side salary cap in NBA and G League allows US teams to give two-way contracts and extra money to players. The best american players left are harder to bring in Europe: with these two factors, plus our players that played a lot of games last seasons with their clubs in EuroLeague, local leagues, cups, supercups and National teams during the summer, that cost bigger fatigue for players and, as long as we move on from time, this influences negatively players’ performances. We have more injuries that take out men from their rythm for weeks and months. We have players who are not fresh. All this keeps basketball’s level lower than previous years.
You talked about tactics and players, but one of last sentences around EuroLeague is Gran Canaria’s resignation to compete in 2023/2024 EL due to financial problems. How do you see the future of the league? Do you think this format sustainable in a long time or has it to be renewed to mantain life? Would you change something or not?
Undoubtfully EuroLeague is the best one in Europe, the highest-level league. For sure, with new presidency of Mr Bodiroga and a new CEO as Mr Motiejunas, all clubs are together. I think EuroLeague’s product will get even higher than before. There are problems we have to solve all together, we as union of players, union of coaches. We as EHCB are in favor of basketball and in favor of all his parts involved in. We live for the good of the sport and the good of EuroLeague. We’re giving any help we can give. We’re working closer now with EL’s board to suggest matters of rosters and calendar to give our opinion on how these things should be organized. They’re very open to listen to us, we’re in the right path to improve EL basketball’s product. Defined lines the product should still be interesting with, at the end of the day the most important thing is to be likeable for spectators. Fans of each club and each country wanna watch these games being satisfied watchin’ high-level basketball.
