1\. To withdraw the participation of Russian Federation teams in both the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (CSKA Moscow, UNICS Kazan, Zenit St Petersburg) and the 7DAYS EuroCup (Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar) for the 2021-22 season, as the situation in Ukraine has not evolved in a favorable way.

2\. As announced after the [ECA Shareholders Executive Board held on February 28th, 2022](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/decisions-by-the-eca-shareholders-executive-board/), all regular season game results versus Russian teams will be removed from any calculation of EuroLeague and EuroCup team standings. The updated standings without Russian teams can be found here:

[Turkish Airlines EuroLeague](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/standings/)

[7DAYS EuroCup](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/eurocup/standings/)

The ECA Shareholders Executive Board took the following decisions with regard to the war in Ukraine:

ECA Shareholders Executive Board decision on participation of Russian teams

Euroleague Basketball announced today that it has frozen its marketing partnership with VTB Bank until further notice amid the war initiated by the Russian Federation in Ukraine.

Euroleague Basketball freezes its contractual relationship with VTB Bank

This decision will cease, at least temporarily, the presence of the VTB Bank brand in the organization's competitions, the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and the 7DAYS EuroCup, and its association with EuroLeague and EuroCup clubs, players and coaches.

Earlier on Monday, [the ECA Shareholders Executive Board decided to suspend all EuroLeague and EuroCup games](https://www.euroleaguebasketball.net/euroleague/news/decisions-by-the-eca-shareholders-executive-board) in which Russian Federation teams are due to participate.

1\. To suspend participation of Russian Federation teams in both the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague (CSKA Moscow, UNICS Kazan, Zenit St Petersburg) and the 7DAYS EuroCup (Lokomotiv Kuban Krasnodar).

2\. Euroleague Basketball to continuously monitor the evolution of the situation. Should the situation not evolve in a favorable way, all regular season games versus Russian teams to be annulled to configure the leagues' standings.

Euroleague Basketball and its clubs reiterate their firm commitment towards peace, against any acts of violence or war, and will continue to use their voice to promote respect, inclusion and diversity, values that sit at the core of the organization and its teams.

The ECA Shareholders Executive Board, meeting remotely on Monday, February 28, took the following decisions with regards to the war in Ukraine:

Decisions by the ECA Shareholders Executive Board

1- To define a plan that temporarily moves all games scheduled to be played on Russian soil to other venues outside of Russian Federation territory, except the games Zenit St Petersburg vs. UNICS Kazan and Zenit St Petersburg vs. CSKA Moscow to be played on March 22 and April 1, respectively. 

2- Games involving Russian teams scheduled to be played in non-Russian territory will continue to be played as scheduled.

3- The CSKA Moscow vs. FC Barcelona game that was scheduled to be played on Sunday, February 27, is suspended.

Euroleague Basketball will analyze the different alternatives to implement the decisions and will submit the plan to the ECA Shareholders Executive Board for approval.

The decisions have been taken to protect the integrity and continuity of the competition, allowing the teams to continue to defend their right to compete on the court, isolating the sport from any political actions. Likewise, the above decisions are in line with Euroleague Basketball’s ultimate priority, which is its responsibility of protecting the integrity of players, coaches, fans and staff without taking the slightest risk.

Euroleague Basketball will continue to monitor the situation, including any regulations imposed by national and international authorities, and will adopt any necessary changes to the above decisions if needed.

The decisions will be shared with the EuroCup clubs ahead of next week’s games and should be applied to that competition as well.

Euroleague Basketball, on behalf of its clubs, wants to strongly condemn any acts of war as the ones that are sadly happening in Ukraine. The clubs remain united in their purpose of using the power of basketball to unite communities. Euroleague Basketball embraces and celebrates diversity, which is widely present within its communities and at the core of all the teams themselves. Such diversity is understood to be deeply linked to the value of respect, promoting the free expression of different opinions. Violence of any kind is contrary to such values and is neither tolerated nor accepted as a way to defend anyone’s opinion or position.

The 18 teams competing in the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague, meeting remotely on Friday, have taken the following decisions:

Decisions of the 18 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague teams

•FC Bayern Munich vs. CSKA Moscow

•Bitci Baskonia Vitoria-Gasteiz vs. UNICS Kazan

•Zenit St Petersburg vs. FC Barcelona

The decision has been taken by the Euroleague Basketball CEO as a precautionary measure according to Article 151 of the EuroLeague Bylaws and ahead of the meeting that the 18 teams of the competition will have on Friday, February 25, 2022.

The following games corresponding to Round 27 of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague have been suspended:


Bayern vs. CSKA, Baskonia vs. UNICS and Zenit vs. Barcelona suspended

[Download here the updated 2021-22 Health & Safety Protocols](http://ftpserver.euroleague.net/general/22_EB_Health_Safety_Protocol_v1_2.pdf)

The modifications respond to the decreased number of infected individuals across the league based on the analysis performed by the league’s medical officers. This analysis has shown that the spread of the Omicron variant of the virus has decelerated in recent weeks.

Among the modifications found in the updated version of the Health and Safety Protocols are: 

The use of facemask by team members on the bench is now optional

Individuals who are vaccinated or have previously tested positive for COVID-19 and subsequently received medical clearance will be exempt from pre and post-game PCR /RAT.

The maximum number of individuals per zone will not be limited.

The modifications to the Health & Safety Protocols will be applied to both the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and the 7DAYS EuroCup with immediate effect and aim to protect and promote the regularity and fairness of the competitions.

Euroleague Basketball would like to announce that the 2021-22 Health and Safety Protocols have been modified to reflect the evolution of the COVID-19 pandemic.

2021-22 Health & Safety Protocols updated

Euroleague Basketball has announced the launch of a new initiative to work with select Gen Z fans and trendsetters to effectively identify the latest and most disruptive trends in an ever-changing sports ecosystem, integrate their key areas of interest and ultimately drive engagement with the fans of the future.

The first edition of the [Euroleague FanZ Lab](https://fanzlab.euroleague.net/) will gather a representative group of 121 participants between 18 and 25 years old from 11 cities in eight different countries. The participants will be chosen from the applications received and will participate from February to May in a series of creativity and ideation workshops and digital sessions conducted through innovative research methods.

"We are thrilled to launch this new project as part of the Euroleague's DNA is to constantly evolve and provide all of our fans with the best possible experiences," Alex Ferrer Kristjansson, Marketing and Communication Senior Director at Euroleague Basketball, stated. "Opening this dialogue and having the opportunity to receive direct feedback from our emerging fans will definitively allow us to connect and enhance loyalty with the fans of the future, showing once again that basketball is a transgenerational sport."

Creative, pioneering and critical thinking skills plus a strong interest in basketball or sports in general are some of the qualities by which applicants will be chosen to help advise the league on a wide variety of topics important to their generation. [Apply now!](https://fanzlab.euroleague.net/)

According to the GWI Core survey, basketball is the only major sport that is growing among Gen Z across 19 European markets, having experienced an increase of 10% in the number of younger fans who follow the sport in the last three years (Q3 2021 vs. Q3 2018). Moreover, interest in the EuroLeague, in particular, has grown 25% among Gen Z members over the last two seasons in FanZ Lab-selected countries, according to Nielsen Sports.

Young fans, trendsetters to advise EB on marketing, content, engagement, merchandising and events

Fans aged 18 to 25 can apply

Euroleague Basketball launches new Gen Z research program FanZ Lab

Turkish Airlines EuroLeague clubs, at their meeting held on January 3, 2022, agreed to make several modifications to the competition's bylaws. Those modifications were approved accordingly by the ECA Shareholders Executive Board and subsequently ratified by the General Assembly. Pursuant to those approvals, Euroleague Basketball has published the updated 2021-2022 bylaws.

Modifications made to 2021-22 bylaws

Download the 2021-22 Turkish Airlines EuroLeague modified by-laws [HERE](http://ftpserver.euroleague.net/general/2021_22EuroLeagueBylaws.pdf)

Download the 2021-22 7DAYS EuroCup modified by-laws [HERE](http://ftpserver.euroleague.net/general/2021_22EuroCupBylaws.pdf)

The approved modifications are as follows:

• Transitory provision to be applied exceptionally during the 2021-22 season only: Player additions to Turkish Airlines EuroLeague team rosters may be made up to and including Wednesday, February 23, 2022, by 18:00 CET – before Round 27 – thus extending the registration deadline, which had been set to expire prior to Round 26 of the EuroLeague Regular Season.

• Article 2 of the Special Regulations to be modified, adding the following: Should national/local regulations impose restrictions to the traveling and/or participation in a game of unvaccinated players, said player will be considered as available for the minimum number of eight players. This modification applies to both the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague and the 7DAYS EuroCup.

Euroleague Basketball and Siesta, one of the market leaders in the business-to-business furniture sector, are celebrating the success of their continuing partnership by extending it for one more year until the end of the 2021-22 season.

Siesta renews EuroLeague official partnership

Siesta has been a proud partner of the Turkish Airlines EuroLeague since 2018, including specific activations during the most crucial moment of the season, the Final Four.

Siesta, which exports 85% of its product, reaches 500 sales points in more than 100 countries, achieving a global impact the same way that the EuroLeague games are followed by fans all over the world. Siesta will build upon its strategy from previous seasons of gaining visibility at Turkish Airlines EuroLeague games and across the digital ecosystem of the competition by using EuroLeague stars in digital campaigns to highlight the great design and innovation of its furniture products.

"We are very satisfied to renew our partnership with such a prestigious brand as Siesta, which shows once again the commitment and confidence of our partners," Roser Queralto, Euroleague Basketball's Chief Business Officer, stated. "The global audience that follows the EuroLeague is a perfect vehicle for the global reach that Siesta has built, opening a wide variety of content creation synergies that will definitely help raise the business to new heights."

Euroleague Basketball has managed to grow 22% in popularity in the last three-year period, with an outstanding 68% growth in TV audience and a 174% growth in social media followers since the EuroLeague format modification back in the 2016-17 season.

Tuncay Işıldar, Siesta Furniture's Chairman of the Board, said: "We always believe in the power of sports to support and integrate the masses. Within the scope of our brand's dynamic structure and design approach, we have signed a harmonious cooperation with Europe's most prestigious organizations, such as Euroleague. We support all our teams that will take part in the Final Four, to be held in Berlin in 2022, and we wish them success."