Coach Itoudis calls for EuroLeague expansion to 30 teams: 'Playoffs are the pinnacle'

That night, the press room was less crowded than usual. Dimitris Itoudis, the EuroLeague champion coach, sat before the microphone and answered deliberately. When asked about the competition's future, he did not talk about the game that had just ended. He spoke about the number 30. “I hope EuroLeague will expand to 30 teams,” Itoudis began. “Not immediately, but as a long journey. We need to target 24, then 26 teams, and if God wills, 30 teams.” In the quiet room, his words sounded like a manifesto for growth. Behind the excitement, however, lay questions about structure: should EuroLeague transform from a stable 20-team system into a league with conferences and playoffs like the NBA? Itoudis nodded: “That is the pinnacle.” From my days recording in my Miami dormitory, I understand that a voice does not need a big arena to travel far. The dormitory recorded; now the world listens. Today, Itoudis's words are also crossing borders. EuroLeague currently has 20 teams, playing a round-robin schedule before entering the playoffs with a Final Four. This model has persisted for over two decades. Itoudis, the coach who lifted the most prestigious trophy on the Old Continent, does not just praise development. He wants a bigger stage: “I see the league moving in the right direction with 24, 26 teams and finally 30.” His viewpoint is tied to a long-term vision. “I hope to witness the league survive for at least ten more years,” he shared. He does not stop at numbers; Itoudis also offers a proposal on competition format. He advocates dividing the league into conferences or groups before entering the playoffs. “That is the pinnacle of basketball,” he emphasized. Currently, EuroLeague ends its season with the Final Four's championship game, but Itoudis believes a full playoff series would better reflect top-level quality. “The last game of the season should be a EuroLeague playoff game, not a single game,” he said. Supporting conferences and playoffs reveals his desire to build a clearly tiered system where the best teams must prove themselves through multiple knockout rounds. According to Itoudis, expansion is an inevitable path to ensure financial stability. “More teams mean more players, coaches, and referees,” he argued. This creates a denser ecosystem, thereby increasing media appeal and commercial value. He also pays special attention to bringing Russian teams back. “I want to see Russian teams return,” Itoudis declared—a wish entangled with complex geopolitical factors. In a context where FIBA has given the green light to players, individual athletes, and referees—considered a precursor to national-team-level participation—the prospects for expansion appear brighter. Yet, amid Itoudis's optimism lies an unresolved debate. Whether EuroLeague will accept expansion remains open. Concerns about diluting quality, congested scheduling, and conflicts of interest between EuroLeague and FIBA could be obstacles. From my experience following European competitions over the past decade, I notice a blind spot: when the number of teams increases without matching financial resources, pressure will fall on smaller clubs right in the group stage. “Crowded or empty, the ball's rules remain—only the players change.” That line echoes in my head like a reminder that expansion is not a universal remedy. Late-night calls; answers surface at dawn. When the final buzzer sounds, tactical puzzles often overshadow the larger story of a whole basketball culture. Itoudis does not merely want to increase the number of teams; he wants to change how the league operates, from the group stage to the decisive game. “Growth is essential,” he says. But do the decision-makers dare to take risks to enter a new era? Or will they stick to the current model as a safe way to preserve profits? I recall conversations with veteran fans during my early podcast episodes. They did not just ask about game results; they asked about the future of the sport. Every podcast episode is a conversation; every game is an answer. Now, as Itoudis raises the voice of a champion, the community is listening. If EuroLeague turns toward an American-style model, with conferences and extended playoffs, European basketball will change forever. Is that what we want, or is it just the dream of a strategist seeking to relive past glory? The door is not yet closed, but time is ticking.