Pair of Tel Aviv hoops clubs still finalizing Euroleague plans

On Thursday, the Euroleague officially announced the 20 teams that will participate in next season’s competition: Olympiacos, Anadolu Efes, Bayern Munich, Baskonia, Virtus Bologna, Barcelona, Dubai BC, Crvena Zvezda (Red Star Belgrade), Hapoel Tel Aviv, ASVEL Villeurbanne, Valencia, Zalgiris Kaunas, AS Monaco, Olimpia Milano, Maccabi Tel Aviv, Panathinaikos, Fenerbahce, Partizan Belgrade, Paris Basketball, and Real Madrid.

Each team will play 38 games in the regular season, with a round-robin format that sees every club face each other both home and away. The season will begin on September 30, 2025, and conclude with the Final Four on May 24, 2026.

Ten double-game weeks are scheduled throughout the campaign, and for the first time, the third-place game at the Final Four has been eliminated. The top eight teams will advance to the playoffs, with places 6 through 10 battling for the final two postseason spots via a play-in tournament – another new feature of the competition.

As part of the announcement, the Euroleague detailed the licensing status of each club. As Monaco and Hapoel Tel Aviv earned their spots through the EuroCup, they have received single-season licenses.

Paris Basketball has also been granted a one-year invitation but is in active discussions about a longer-term partnership. Meanwhile, Dubai BC made headlines by securing a five-year license – a bold step that underscores the league’s intent to break into new and emerging markets.

These changes come alongside a sweeping update to the league’s financial regulations, branded under a new framework called “Financial Stability and Fair Play.”

Beginning in 2025/26 and fully implemented by 2027/28, the revised rules include raising the minimum team salary threshold from €8 million to €10 million, with flexibility if too many licensed clubs cannot meet the target. The number of “franchise players” (whose salaries are partially exempt from budgetary caps) will increase from two to three per team.

Clubs will also benefit from greater financial relief for players with long tenures – up to a 50% discount in cap calculations. Temporary compensation limits will be imposed on teams that exceed spending caps during the next two seasons.

Their most advanced plan – relocating home games to Cyprus – collapsed after the Cypriot government officially rejected the request, citing security concerns.

Despite recent visits by Maccabi president Shimon Mizrahi and Hapoel officials and a proposal that included fan travel and security guarantees, local authorities deemed the risk too great and refused to host the games.

This decision is a major setback, as Cyprus had been considered the frontrunner to serve as a neutral site. Now, with the Euroleague’s summer deadline to finalize venues fast approaching, the clock is ticking.

One fallback option is Rhodes, Greece, though it’s unclear whether the island has the infrastructure, logistical capacity, or political will to host such events. If that too proves unfeasible, a return to Belgrade – where Maccabi played during the 2023/24 and 2024/25 seasons – remains a likely solution.

Meanwhile, in the EuroCup, Hapoel Jerusalem will be Israel’s lone representative. With top-tier teams like Gran Canaria, Valencia, and Hapoel Tel Aviv opting out, the field appears more open than usual, potentially giving Jerusalem a realistic shot at winning the tournament and joining the Euroleague in 2026/27.

As the Euroleague ushers in a bold new chapter – marked by expansion, innovation, and an eye toward new markets – Israel’s clubs find themselves simultaneously at the center of that growth and scrambling on the margins to find a place to play.