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Photo: BNS / BasketNews.lt illustration
Photo Illustration from BNS / BasketNews.lt
Due to the COVID-19 virus season, the strongest Lithuanian clubs and the top league have not registered major losses. According to LKL President Remigijus Milašius, for the BasketNews.lt website, the consequences of the first wave of coronaviruses cost up to 5 million euros.
LKL, who stopped in the heat, suffered around 800,000. The rest is the loss of 10 clubs.
The coronavirus froze the LKL championship in round 24, with teams playing a third of the 60 games. In the playoffs, which promised hot battles, eight teams would have played up to two victories in the quarterfinals, and the remaining four teams in the semifinals and finals, up to three.
The teams suffered the most losses due to canceled home games, unfulfilled obligations to sponsors and bargaining with players for wages for the unplayed but contracted cooperation period.
LKL suffered the most from breached agreements with television and major sponsors. 2018-2019 season, management designed 2.4 million. budget, which was planned to be a little higher this season.
According to Milašius, the league maintains contact with partners from whom it has not heard the desire to end cooperation in the future.
The first decisions for the post-crisis 2020-2021. The league’s management, which is preparing for the season, has already planned to reduce the minimum budget cartel to 400,000. EUR, because the championship, which survived the carpet, had previously planned 600 thousand euros for next year. minimum euro line.
The next season is planned to start at the usual time, in late September, but the main question remains what restrictions will apply to indoor events.
The real option is to start without spectators in the arenas, although it would be painful for both the league and the clubs. The BasketNews.lt website discussed the consequences of the coronavirus, misconceptions, and beaming optimism with the President of the Milas Preference.
– How do you think the clubs dealt with the situation caused by the coronavirus? – BasketNews.lt asked Milašius.
– There are several echoes, I communicate with everyone, each club decides the situation in its own way. Romualdas Brazauskas, President or CEO of LKL and the administration, in accordance with our Statutes, have no right to influence the internal, legal, legal and financial affairs of (clubs). Contracts clearly state who is responsible for what, where a player can go if he is terminated or if there are breaches. Almost all clubs have their own law firm with which they interact and work. The whole time I’m in the league, no one has really asked me to take care of internal affairs, player decisions, and administration.
– Did you support the decision to announce champions and award winners for practicing in other countries?
– It was spontaneous. We were probably one of the first in Europe to make a decision and decide that we would still be announcing the champions. There were no further offers not to announce champions or seats, as this then translates to seats to play in European tournaments. Maybe it all happened so fast that we didn’t even think about not announcing the champions.
Before the decision to end the season, we had absolutely no conversation with other leagues, because the coronavirus “behaved” differently in each country: in some cases there were few or only differentials, in others it did not even begin, others did not understand what to do at all. Everything evolved in about 1-2 weeks, so some just stopped the season, others stopped and stopped. The situation with the virus was different in each country, and governments made different decisions on how many people could meet in one place or ban meetings altogether. Today I can confidently say that our decision is the right one. If we had spread the virus through gamers, viewers, it is unclear who it would have been and we would have been charged. We and the players could have been sued for being forced to play.
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– During the pandemic, Klaipėda’s name “Neptūnas” was heard aloud, the subject of bankruptcy is still mentioned in speeches. What is the situation in Klaipeda?
– The club has had really big problems in the past, I spent most of my time there helping in one way or another to find solutions together with the mayor and other administrative staff as well as with the club sponsors. It was not an easy stage, Sigitas Ambrazevičius handled the team very well. Without the virus, all revenue would have been fully generated and no attempt would have been made to escalate the problem. The problem is what kind of long-term contracts between three players, whose amounts, as I am told, do not correspond to the spirit of these times. The club is also afraid of not getting the revenue they could plan, which is why this topic is so debatable. I think they will find compromises with the players and that problem will be solved.
What do you think an aggressive leaked letter from a club manager like Neptune looks like?
– I have two doubts, I learned it from the press. That is your personal opinion, I will not prohibit you from saying it. He said: I value Sigita as a professional who did a great job at the club. The letter is a personal opinion, Sigitas is a free and independent person. LKL cannot restrict such statements. Sure, we’re talking about it.
– To what extent can this situation and the investigation initiated by the Competition Council damage the prestige of the league?
– I’ll put it very simply: The board probably doesn’t understand at all what basketball and basketball cooking is. I don’t see any competition at all. If you dig deeper into where there is competition between players, it is the summer market, where there is the fiercest competition, how the clubs fight for the desired player, there are various monetary deals and so on. They (the Competition Council) understand the situation completely differently, wages are not competition.
– There was a lot of noise during the season in Vilnius “Ryte”. How much do you know about the inner situation?
– I hear the same from the press. I never go to personal matters, they are my internal affairs. As for wages, there are contracts, players have the right to go to court. From what I can hear, there are problems, we will see during the certification what the financial situation of the club is, how they have managed and then it will be possible to speak.
– In Lithuanian basketball, a players association was formed that you missed. How do you evaluate this initiative?
– I look positively, but, as Rolandas Skaisgirys said, it has failed in the past in financial matters. There may have been fewer of them in those days, but now you have to pay really big sums for everything. Most importantly, they have a financial basis and maintain the minimum necessary administration. Everything will be determined by finances and your attitude towards work. Of course, you also need to understand this. I suggest that you leave if there are opportunities and see how the associations work in the other leagues.
– During his leadership, the league has experienced growth, but this pandemic will undoubtedly be greatly affected. How many steps do you need to take now?
– We seemed very strong, the clubs were growing financially, perhaps making a club weaker in the absence of competition. When not there, the hips are a little tight. There would be competition, the advent of other clubs, the situation would change completely. We will try to deal with the current situation. I am always full of optimism. There will be a decrease in player salaries, clubs have expressed various opinions that (monthly) salaries could drop from 4 to 5 thousand. up to 2-2.5 thousand. euros I look at certain indicators of the countries and analyze, I wonder how much the GDP of each country can fall, both 13% and 3.5% write. Elsewhere he writes that there has been no such recession in Germany since World War II. Economists dictate various forecasts, but I think that with the injections administered to various European countries as aid, in my personal opinion, not as president of the LKL, I forecast 20%. (decrease)
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– What gives you so much optimism personally?
– I am not sitting with my hands crossed, I am talking to the clubs about what is happening. For some, more difficult, for others, easier. There are still many emotions for today, but I think we will know much more in June. I was optimistic all my life. It is dictated by life, talent and experience.
– What other ideas about your future have been frustrated by the coronavirus?
– I have always wanted 12 teams, which makes it easier for the teams that play in European tournaments. In the case of Kaunas “Žalgiris”, when there are double weeks in the Euroleague, we would have thought about how to help and solve this problem. When there are 12 teams, then it can be done, but with 10 teams and 4 wheels that is not possible. If there are 10 teams and you make an exception, clubs that do not participate in international tournaments will not receive multiple matches. They also need to form budgets, so what will they form for 20 parties? There are curiosities and in that case we go back to the past, when we played two rounds, and the results of “Žalgiris” and Vilnius “Rytas” were calculated as a percentage. It is a distorted basketball, the real game is somewhere in the water.
– The theme of the 12-team model intensifies almost every year.
– Look, everything rests on the sands. If only they were, 12 teams would not be a problem to this day. Marijampolė is a multiple NKL champion, they really want to, I’ve been there, but his salon is probably the worst NKL. There is not even a place to change, there is no place to put LED mounts, TV streaming is not possible. Financial opportunities in Marijampolė as there are. Management problems must be resolved in Jonava. With the initiative, everything can be solved, but it is not on your part. The 11 team model is not for us.
– But is there any momentum in those cities?
– Yes, Marijampolė designed 3 thousand. seating in the hallway and construction is underway. The construction contract was also signed in Mažeikiai, but since the company that won the tender is being restructured, no construction is taking place. There are financial opportunities as there are. In addition to all that, I look at two things: the population, that people come and see basketball because it is played for the spectators, and that it not only becomes personal to throw a basket. Cities like Marijampolė, Jonava, Plungė and Mažeikiai are acceptable.
– The municipalities provide the financial base for most of the LKL teams with their financial resources, but the management structure of most of the teams is not included. Wouldn’t you see a change in this regard?
– Here are your internal affairs. All have made several proposals, which municipalities want to participate and which do not. I am certainly not an advisor on this matter. They have a better interior view, both for municipalities and for clubs.
– When can LKL basketball return?
– As far as I can see, the coronavirus situation in Lithuania is really good, but the government will limit various events, and our events are probably one of the largest audience during the year. Sure, it would be painful to start the season without viewers, but we’ll probably start in late September as always. If a selection window is not organized in 2021. European Championship, then vacated for several weeks. Next season, we must finish the championship in time for the Olympic qualifying rounds.
– Looking at the people of the country, how much do you see fear and how perhaps this virus can respond to fans who go to matches indoors?
– Fear is high right now. I am involved in business, from the beginning I had to walk through the big and small stores, which is an indicator of the situation, the number of traffic and sales are not encouraging. But this is normal, that immunity does not disappear quickly. I think it will exist for half a year or a year. I dare say about the numbers in the House that they will not be what we had last year.
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