2019-2020 sportive calendar crazy: An international player of Euroleague could reach a maximum of 117 games this season.

An international player of a Euroleague team that does not miss a commitment this season, and is present in the World and Pre-Olympic, could play a total of 117 games. They are no longer because, as last year, the Euroleague matches will overlap with those of the only FIBA ​​Window to be held this season (the February one, for the continental championship).

2019-2020 sportive calendar crazy

It is, however, a record number that will test the resilience of players and eventually may even act to the detriment of their sporting career.

The lack of understanding between national leagues, Euroleague and FIBA ​​has made the desirable harmonization of the different calendars impossible, which causes an incredible saturation of activity. All this is motivated by the expansion of the Euroleague from 16 to 18 teams, with four more days of the continental competition. This increase means that the regular Euroleague phase starts one week ahead of schedule (on October 3) and continues until April 10. For all this, the playoff will be played a week later than usual and the same will happen with the Final Four, already overlapping with the start of the Endesa League playoff.

This expansion of the Euroleague activity was approved, as announced by this competition, in accordance with the new ELPA (Euroleague Players Association) last April.

Since then, there have been adjustments by the other organizations to suit the interests of the Euroleague: FIBA ​​decided to cancel the window of international games scheduled for November and the ACB, in its announcement of competition dates this week, has contemplated changes at the start of playoff in the event that there are Spanish teams involved in the Final Four.

However, it will not be possible to avoid notable tensions between days or in important phases of the season. For example, between the Copa final and the start of the FIBA ​​window, there are only 24 hours and after the Euroleague final and the start of the Endesa League semifinal playoff, just two days.

The Euroleague, which has been criticized by FIBA, ACB and trade unions, among others, for its lack of flexibility in this issue, has not changed its intentions a bit and maintains the schedule of 34 days planned in regular phase and also the playoff format extended in rooms. The only mitigating measures adopted refer to the displacements of the double weekly days: in two of the nine weeks that this happens the teams will adjust to formats of two games at home or two away. To this he has added a declaration of intentions on regulation of preseason, breaks and travel conditions.

Unlike the position of the ELPA, which by mouth of its director, Boki Nachbar, showed satisfaction for "the changes implemented by Euroleague to reduce workloads", the national players' unions in Spain and Greece have already shown their concern these last days because of the drift of this density of competition.

"The increase in matches with the subsequent trips means an increase in the physical load and fatigue of the players that undoubtedly affects their health and that can have serious consequences", was valued from the PBL a few days ago in a note published in Web. In that same statement, he added a veiled warning that could be interpreted as critical of ELPA: "Without independence of clubs and leagues you can not defend the players".

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