The 2025/26 Euroleague season is still three months away but the continent’s biggest basketball competition has made a number of changes for the upcoming campaign to the delight of many fans as CEO Paulius Motiejunas discussed a myriad of topics about what can be looked forward to.

From new teams in new countries, an expanded schedule as well as the latest news concurring Israel’s two participants Maccabi Tel Aviv and Hapoel Tel Aviv, Motiejunas touched on them all.

The league will expand from 18 to 20 teams for the new season which will add four more games to each team’s schedule as Hapoel Tel Aviv and Dubai have been added to the league while Valencia will also be part of the competition moving from the Euroleague. The first Euroleague team in the United Arab Emirates enters with a 5-year contract while Valencia has been granted a 3-year deal. Hapoel Tel Aviv joins the league having won the EuroCup this past season.

“I think the upcoming season we focus on three main elements: Growth, stability and purpose,” Motiejunas began. “We announced that we’re going to 20 teams next season. It’s a huge step for us as a competition. It doesn’t seem much but it’s also a geographical expansion. It’s more games in total. More games for the teams. But it’s a well-thought and calculated decision. We really look forward to that.”

“We took a brave decision last season to move the Final Four outside the European market. We’re really happy with the outcome that we we had. We open new markets. We open the market in the Middle East even more with Dubai joining the competition.”

With more games that will mean challenges in scheduling that will add a number of “Double Weeks” to the slate while the FIBA International Windows for qualifiers will also face some issues as well.

“We’re shifting the games to Tuesday – Thursday in November to keep that window ope for international games. We analyzed the idea of doing that in February as well but then we have to deal with the domestic cups. After the cup competitions, some countries teams play three games in four days and they finish on Sunday. If we play games on Tuesday – Wednesday, players will play four or five games in six days. It’s physically impossible to do that. We’re taking into account the Euroleague Players Association, the teams and doctors. The expansion decision was taken calculating everything.

“We’ve shown flexibility and we want to show flexibility. We mentioned that to FIBA. We’ll remain flexible on bringing back the February Window. It was impossible to do that this season. It’s unfortunate that so many things add up. I really believe we will find the solution. We’ll try to find it. We all have to look in the same direction. Domestic leagues, federations and so on.”

There has been recent talk about the NBA creating a European league and there have been meetings with the Euroleague Motiejunas explained, “We had a very constructive meeting with the NBA. We heard in Adam Silver’s press conference that the project will probably be moved (from 2026), to probably starting in 2028. We’re trying to understand and see more of the plan as well as what opportunities they’re exploring. It’s clear that what we don’t want is fragmentation. That’s the main thing we need to avoid. We should care about fans and care about the product.”

“The other message we keep saying is that we are open to collaborate. There’s no need to create a new league. There’s the Euroleague that’s open to work together. That’s why I really believe the only chance to move forward is to focus on what the clubs have already created here. I really believe and I know that we have the best European product. I don’t see why somebody should try to create something new when we could go together and work on unlocking opportunities together. We are open to collaborate.”

Motiejunas moved to the topic of the Israeli teams in the competition and as to what their status will be in the new season due to the war with Iran and the conflict with Hamas that began on October 7, 2023.

“I’m happy we have quite some time until start of the season. Being optimistic, we believe the situation will settle and peace will come. We’ve been saying the same with Ukraine. We continue to monitor the situation. The main thing is safety. Safety of teams, of fans. We’re going to monitor the situation. At the moment when we look and plan the season, we continue to talk with the clubs that will play games in neutral venue. If the situation doesn’t calm down, we’ll need to make decisions to protect the teams, fans, players, coaches and everyone around the game.”

“I need to have some psychic powers to see what the future is. I really don’t put in my head the scenario where we don’t have Israeli teams. It’s Maccabi and Hapoel Tel Aviv and also Hapoel Jerusalem (in the EuroCup). Our main priority is safety. Our advantage is that we have time and we have to be optimistic. Saying that, we are in touch with all other sport organizations and FIBA. We’re trying to analyze what FIBA will do. Let’s hope that everything will be better, calmer and safer. Step one is that they play in neutral venues, playing outside Israel. Step two, if there’s peace in the world and it’s safe, we need to respect the fans of each country and each team. It’s the priority of the clubs and the league to go back to the arenas.”

As for the Derby between the teams potentially being played in Israel, despite playing the other games abroad, Motiejunas didn’t want to close the door and that possibility, “Openly right now, it’s quite difficult to imagine this. Hoping and being optimistic, yes. We would analyze this opportunity. I really miss the atmosphere of seeing Israeli fans in a full arena. It’s as simple as that. I can’t wait to see it. The Hapoel Tel Aviv owner talked a lot about it, I remember how wonderful the atmosphere was in Maccabi’s arena and I truly miss it. To see it, to experience it. It’s one of the best places to watch basketball.”

The two Serbian clubs, Red Star Belgrade and Partizan Belgrade were each granted 3-year licenses in the Euroleague, but not permanent ones as both teams have huge fan bases and the excitement and competitiveness that they bring is second to none.

“The Serbian clubs have been part of the Euroleague for many years. How we see them permanently, or what decisions will be made to keep them even longer than three years, of course we’ll work on that. But we need to understand there’s also Valencia, Virtus Bologna, Monaco and other clubs that want to be part of the EuroLeague forever, or permanently. When I say permanently, the first on the list is of course Paris Basketball. We had discussions with them to have them as a permanent member.”

“Monaco is still playing as a former EuroCup champion,” Motiejunas continued about the Principality’s team that does not have any type of contract with the league. “This is one more year that we have two clubs from EuroCup, Hapoel Tel Aviv and Monaco. That’s why we focused on the season as it is. Rest assured, we value what Monaco and its owner has done very much. We are in talks with the club. We see them in the league in the future, we go step by step. There’s no doubt that they’ll stay in EuroLeague for many years. They have one more year according to previous rules to stay as EuroCup champion. We didn’t want to change this and we wanted to follow that rule instead of extending the contract.

“But this is pending and we’ll continue to talk with that. We’re positive that we’ll keep them in the EuroLeague after 2025-26. We see Monaco in the EuroLeague in the future. If they want to be here permanently, of course they need the arena. We won’t commit and the clubs won’t commit with only promises or discussions. We are here as a league to help them get the process going in any way possible. We are here to help them start the arena Now we have to work hand in hand with the timing.”

The 2025 Final Four took place in Abu Dhabi and it may not be the last time that the league’s crown jewel will be played in the Middle East, “We’ll take the decision much faster than we did last year. Last year was an exception. We return to Europe in 2026 and then we have an option to return to Abu Dhabi in 2027. Everybody is very satisfied with Abu Dhabi. The feedback is that it was the best Final Four. We are in talks with them how to make the next even better because that was just the first one.”