Jordi Bertomeu speech at 2009-10 Draw
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 Welcome to the European Club Competitions Draws for the 2009-2010 season. Thank you for joining us today.
I would like to express my gratitude to MEDIAPRO, a partner that has been with us ever since the beginning of the Euroleague adventure, and that is becoming one of the greatest players in the Spanish and European audiovisual market. Today MEDIAPRO receives us in its new headquarters to celebrate the start of the season.
For the second year running, FIBA Europe and the Euroleague have co-organised the draws. This is more than merely symbolic. It is one more sign that the governing bodies in Europe are moving towards a greater cooperation and collaboration. It is a commitment to try to increase this collaboration in the upcoming years.
Today we are at a key point in Euroleague history. Today we celebrate the first event of the new Euroleague. Thessaloniki hosted the first draw when the Euroleague was founded in the year 2000, and today Barcelona is hosting the draw of its new foundation.
A new foundation based upon a high level of consensus amongst Clubs, Leagues, national federations, FIBA Europe and FIBA World. A consensus reached following two years of debate and dialogue, comprehension and flexibility, sacrifice and identification of the common interests.
Nobody has reached 100% of their goals. Yet everybody understands that the new Euroleague is much better than the Euroleague we left behind.
I would like to thank all those who have contributed to this debate, because the result is their success, rather than ours. I would also like to thank all those who have had a different point of view and who have not joined this consensus, because they have also contributed to a better final result.
The final result enables us to have an open league, a league where more countries can participate, where more teams can have access, where the sports results will be the most important factor.
A league with stability for the great European projects that will prove to be great on and off the court. A league with an organisational structure that responds to the property of the competition, where Clubs and Leagues find the balance in their relationship.
Let’s give a warm welcome to the FOUNDATION of THE new EUROLEAGUE.
Throughout these nine years we have learnt different things. We have improved our collaboration with FIBA Europe, with the national federations, and obviously with the leagues and ULEB. We have taken many decisions day by day. We have debated for many hours, sometimes with different points of view and different philosophies.
I am sure that, as we have done in the last years, the willingness to work together and give priority to what brings us together over what separates us will be more important, in all cases respecting the role that each institution has in the world of basketball. Everybody’s objective is a common one: to help our sport grow in all possible areas.
We are very excited for our future.
It is obvious that we have difficulties, that there is an economic situation that is affecting us, and that will affect us in the upcoming years.
But this new Euroleague is more consistent. It can face this situation with more guarantees to resist, but especially with more guarantees that our structures will be stronger when this phase has finished.
This is a great challenge for everybody. We - the clubs, ULEB and the Leagues and the Euroleague - cannot complain. We must have ideas. We must take risks. We must stay together and be disciplined, remembering something as essential as the fact that maybe today some are fine and others are not, but this changes again and again. Cycles are a reality, and only a policy of unity will make us stronger as a group and as a company.
This is our proposal for the future based upon a great reality.
Compared to the year 2000, today this new Euroleague offers the fans, partners, broadcasters and sponsors a stable league, with an efficient organisation, with projects for new arenas, in large markets, with the most recognised brands of European basketball, with the champions from the most important countries.
Our very near future is the 2009-2010 season. Today we will not only hold the Euroleague draw, but also the draw for the Eurocup Qualifying Round and the FIBA EuroChallenge.
We will start the Euroleague with Qualifying Rounds that will take us to the Regular Season, the Top 16, the Playoffs, and the Final Four in…
OK, we have not revealed this mystery for months, and today I am proud to announce that together with our partner AEG, from May 7 to 9, we will hold the 2010 Final Four at the Palais Omnisports Bercy in Paris.
I want to thank the French Federation and the French League, who in the next few days will join the Euroleague to collaborate with us in the most important event of European Club Basketball.
I hope to see you all in Paris.
Thank you very much. Enjoy the season.
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