No decision: Hapoel Tel Aviv and Hapoel Jerusalem will have to wait for Euroleague license

The Euroleague shareholders' meeting in Italy approved the expansion of the league to 24 teams from the 2027/28 season, but postponed the decision on the identity of the eight new licenses. Hapoel Tel Aviv and Hapoel Jerusalem, the Israeli candidates, will have to wait for a future decision.

The Euroleague shareholders' meeting, held today (Tuesday) at Lake Como in Italy, officially approved the expansion of the league to 24 teams starting from the 2027/28 season. As part of the historic decision, the 13 founding clubs, including Maccabi Tel Aviv, will become permanent franchises. However, the decision on the identity of the eight clubs that will receive the new licenses was postponed to a later date. This means that Hapoel Tel Aviv and Hapoel Jerusalem, the two Israeli candidates, will have to wait for a future decision. According to reports on the Greek sports website SDNA, the existing shareholders refuse to have their share diluted immediately with the entry of new partners, and the emerging model is a gradual integration. At the center of the meeting was the NBA's cooperation proposal, which included a ban on bringing in new shareholders. The proposal was unanimously rejected by the 13 shareholders, sparking a sharp confrontation. Georgios Angelopoulos of Olympiacos led an aggressive line and described the American proposal as "colonialist, ridiculous, and unacceptable." In contrast, Real Madrid, Panathinaikos, and Fenerbahçe demanded renewed talks. Ultimately, Real Madrid's proposal was accepted, giving the NBA a 30-day window to submit an improved offer. At this stage, 13 clubs remain active candidates for the eight available spots, including Hapoel Tel Aviv and Hapoel Jerusalem, alongside Paris, Dubai, Valencia, Virtus Bologna, Partizan Belgrade, Red Star, PAOK Thessaloniki, Aris, Napoli, Rome, and London Lions.