Itoudis calls for EuroLeague expansion to 30 teams: The champion's ambition for 'conferences and playoffs'

Few would have expected that one of the strongest voices calling for a restructuring of the EuroLeague would come from a coach who has twice won Europe's most prestigious competition. Coach Dimitris Itoudis caused a stir when he publicly expressed his absolute support for expanding the EuroLeague from 20 to 30 teams, coupled with the ambition to establish a system of 'conferences or groups' and an ultimate playoff round.

Itoudis, who has spent much of his coaching career tracking the development of European basketball, believes the life of the league should be defined by the last game of the season being a playoff game, not a single final. His perspective is not merely a call for format change but also reflects a deep philosophy about the sustainability of the continent's basketball ecosystem.

From my experience following European club-level matches, league expansion is always a double-edged sword. But Itoudis believes that with more teams, more players, more coaches, and more referees, financial stability will be ensured. This is not an emotional argument; it is a calculation of scale and resources.

The crucial point Itoudis emphasizes is that expanding to 30 teams is not just about quantity, but also about the quality of competition through establishing conferences and a playoff to increase rivalry and media appeal.

Another important signal comes from FIBA having 'given the green light' to players, individual athletes, and referees, paving the way for participation at the team level. Itoudis also did not hesitate to express his desire for Russian teams to return in the future, as part of natural growth. This ambition reveals a broad sports-geopolitical vision that not many coaches would dare to mention.

However, from a contrarian perspective, we need to stay alert. The playoff and conference system sounds appealing in theory, but will expanding to 30 teams actually reduce the skill gap in the early season? The answer remains open. Is it truly a thorough solution to the financial problems of smaller clubs, or merely a way for the 'big powers' to consolidate more power within an increasingly unstable institutional alliance? The lack of a detailed implementation plan and specific financial data in Itoudis' statement is a notable blind spot.

European basketball stands at a historic crossroads. The call of a champion like Itoudis will act as a strong catalyst for the debate on league format over the next 5 to 10 years, but whether it gains approval from all current 20 teams remains a major governance question. The power shift between the EuroLeague and FIBA is happening right before our eyes, and statements like these are the most crucial 'saves' of the moment for us to understand where the future of European top-tier basketball is heading.