EuroLeague basketball season canceled over coronavirus pandemic

By Muhammed Enes Calli

ANKARA (AA) - The Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and EuroCup basketball tournaments Monday have become the latest major sports events canceled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

“Due to reasons beyond our control, we have been forced to cut short the most successful and exciting season in European basketball history,” EuroLeague said in a statement.

“This comes after two and a half months in which all the league's stakeholders maintained their determination and exhausted every possible avenue in trying to deliver a complete and uniquely special season to our fans, whose passion is the driving force for all our efforts,” it added.

The 2019-2020 competitions were already suspended on March 12 due to virus fears in Europe.

The current EuroLeague and EuroCup clubs sealed their places for next season which will begin on Oct. 1 and Sept. 30, 2020, respectively.

EuroLeague President & CEO Jordi Bertomeu said this is the most difficult decision they had taken in the organization's history.

“Nonetheless, record-breaking data showing how much our fans enjoyed the games to date gives us more energy than ever to start planning for an even better 2020-21 season,” he said.