Itoudis and the Euroleague 30-team dream: When a champion looks beyond the present

When Dimitris Itoudis speaks, no one can dismiss it as the careless words of an outsider. The Euroleague champion, who once led CSKA Moscow to the top of Europe, understands the weight of this prestigious trophy better than anyone. But what he just shared with the media is not about tactics—it is about vision: expanding the Euroleague to 30 teams, establishing a structure of conferences and playoffs, and bringing back Russian teams. A bold statement, marking a turning point in how people think about Europe's premier club competition.

Picture an afternoon at the Euroleague office. European basketball has operated with 20 teams for many years. The round-robin format with the top seed advancing directly to the quarterfinals and teams ranked second through sixth playing in the play-in has become classic but makes the season long without the dramatic edge of multi-round knockout matches.

Itoudis is not just talking about administrative reform. He is talking about how the Euroleague must become a truly grand competition, where the last game of the season is the final playoff game, not a single game. He said: "I hope one day European basketball will end with playoffs, not a single final game." This statement reveals his deep frustration with the current format, where sometimes a whole season hangs on one single game.

An empty arena does not kill basketball; it only strips the makeup off pretenders.

That is how Itoudis views the development of the league. He wants to see 24, then 26, and finally 30 teams—a scale large enough to create tactical diversity, increase broadcast revenue, and elevate European basketball to a new level. But the story behind the number 30 is not just about team numbers. It is about bringing back Russian teams. Since the military campaign in Ukraine led to CSKA Moscow, Zenit, and UNICS being excluded from the European arena, the Euroleague has lost a major pillar in both sporting and financial terms. Itoudis, who once coached CSKA, understands the quality of Russian teams. He does not hesitate to say he wants them back.

Every data revolution starts with a number lying low in a garbage dump.

But this is not a tactical on-court analysis; it is a league structure analysis. Look at the current numbers: 20 teams, 34 rounds, and no regional division. This makes early-season games boring and meaningless, as big teams often save energy for the later stages. Itoudis believes that splitting into conferences or groups would create higher competition, avoiding one-sided matchups. He calls that "the pinnacle of basketball"—a strong statement showing his vision for a clearly tiered league structure.

FIBA has already given the green light to players, individual athletes, and referees to participate in international programs. That is the first step to pave the way for club-level participation. But importantly, there is still a debate about whether this expansion will be accepted. As Itoudis says: "Whether it will be accepted or not, that is a debate."

From the data dump, I dug out a diamond that the basketball world overlooked.

In my analytical framework—someone who has spent many years studying European basketball from a data perspective—I realize that Itoudis's vision contains a deep financial logic. Adding teams not only increases competition but also creates new revenue streams from broadcasting rights, sponsorships, and ticket sales. He states clearly: "More teams mean more players, more coaches, more officials. That would guarantee financial stability."

This leads us to a counter-intuitive perspective: Expanding the Euroleague is not about diluting quality; it is about saving quality. When more teams have the opportunity to participate, investors will be more willing to spend money on infrastructure, youth academies, and the stars themselves. A 30-team league would create a far more sustainable ecosystem than an exclusive club of 20 teams. It is like making a bigger pie: everyone gets a slice, but the pie is bigger.

But we must look soberly: The return of Russian teams is not simply a decision for the Euroleague. It sits within a complex geopolitical context, where the status of Russian clubs is not determined solely by sporting merit. Itoudis can hope, but he cannot guarantee. That explains why he talks about wanting to live healthily for another ten years to see the league grow.

Emotion is the only thing that turns probability into legend—and I count both.

If we look at the history of the Euroleague, we see many times where big clubs were eliminated in the group stage, causing frustration for fans. A multi-round playoff system would bring nerve-wracking matchups, creating historic moments. But we cannot deny that dividing into groups could lead to a disparity in level, similar to how domestic leagues often create a championship contender group and a relegation battler group. This requires a balancing mechanism—like a draft or a luxury tax—to keep the season competitive.

Are wealthy clubs like Real Madrid or Barcelona willing to share power and revenue with smaller clubs? That is a major obstacle. But Itoudis is not afraid. He says: "I fully agree with the direction of the organizer." He sees himself as part of the league, and he wants to see it evolve to a new height.

The court needs someone sitting beside the throne to dare say: the king is wearing no clothes.

In this analysis, I want to delve deeper into an aspect the media often overlooks: how Euroleague expansion would affect domestic leagues. When the Euroleague becomes a more attractive league with 30 teams, the top players will tend to stay with Euroleague clubs rather than return to their domestic leagues. This could cause leagues like the VTB United League or the Spanish league to lose their standout stars. However, it also creates opportunities for young players, as Euroleague teams need deeper rosters to handle a grueling schedule.

On the other hand, the return of Russian teams would open opportunities to restart cross-border sporting relations, but it also carries geopolitical risks. In an increasingly multipolar world, European basketball cannot avoid these impacts. But Itoudis believes in the power of sport as a cultural bridge, and he hopes that will help overcome political barriers.

What Itoudis said today is not just the vision of a coach. It is the voice of someone who has lived with European basketball through many ups and downs. I have followed Itoudis since his days coaching the Greek national team, and I vividly remember how he adjusted tactics mid-game flexibly. That game-reading ability is not limited to the court; it extends to how he reads the league's situation. He sees a reality ahead: The 20-team Euroleague is gradually saturating, and if it does not change, it will lag behind the NBA and other growing competitions.

But the key is the next step. The Euroleague, together with FIBA, may soon make a decision on expansion. Votes among the current clubs could see internal divisions. Powerhouses like Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Fenerbahce might support expansion because they would gain additional revenue from new games. But smaller clubs may fear being left behind. That is the puzzle of balancing interests that the organizer will have to solve.

For Vietnamese fans, the Euroleague might still be a relatively unfamiliar competition. But the growth of European basketball will influence the global basketball landscape, including Asia, where European players are often role models for young talent. If the Euroleague expands successfully, it could trigger a wave of new investment in international basketball, and countries like Vietnam could learn how to build a professional league.

One interesting point in Itoudis's statement is his mention of "if God wills" when talking about the 30-team dream. That phrase is not religious, but a humble way of saying he knows the expansion is not solely up to him, and even with a vision, nothing guarantees it will become reality.

But that is precisely when the story becomes interesting. European basketball is at a crossroads. Will the leaders of the Euroleague listen to the voice of a champion? Will they dare to break the current structure to build a better future? The answer perhaps lies behind closed doors of the boardroom.

Heresy today, orthodoxy tomorrow—I just place my bet earlier than others.

I believe Euroleague expansion is inevitable. In a world of exploding sports development, stagnation is regression. With 30 teams, the Euroleague could establish a system of tiered leagues, creating a clear pathway for smaller clubs. This not only increases competition but also provides opportunities for emerging basketball markets.

From a financial perspective, having more games means greater advertising and broadcast revenue. But the risk is that a too-dense schedule could increase the injury risk for players. Itoudis has not mentioned this, but managers will have to calculate. A season with 60 games per team could affect the quality of matches, as coaches would have to rotate more and manage fitness more carefully.

However, as I have written before: "Data dumps are ore mines—just know how to sift." Injury metrics, game frequency, and rotational efficiency will become valuable data for adjusting the schedule. But we must admit that nothing is certain yet.

While waiting for the organizer to make a decision, the European basketball community can start imagining a more exciting league. Imagine a seven-game playoff series between Real Madrid and Barcelona, or a fiercely contested series between Panathinaikos and Olympiacos. That would captivate fans, creating memories that only club basketball can bring.

But there is one big "but": Politics and institutions. The Euroleague does not operate in a vacuum. The relationship with FIBA needs to be nurtured, and national federations will have their own say. Every reform carries politics, and not every truthful voice is heard.

So, what is the contrarian angle here? Many argue that expanding the Euroleague is suicidal, as the quality of weak teams would drag down the league's level. Yet, looking at examples like the NBA, or even the EuroLeague when it had 24 teams before, we see that a larger footprint is not necessarily bad. The NBA has 30 teams and is the most successful league in the world. Of course, the NBA differs financially, but the Euroleague must find its own model.

Few notice this: Itoudis is not talking about adding teams haphazardly. He wants "conferences or groups" to create a fairer schedule, reduce long flights, and increase the local flavor of games. This creates more intense derbies and also helps clubs save travel costs. This is a subtle detail that those only fixated on the number 30 often miss.

Lozano taught me: call a name wrong and you can fix it; call a tactic wrong and you pay with a loss.

As a data analyst, I have learned that no single number can capture the full complexity of a league. But looking at this trend, I see a strong belief from insiders. They understand that European basketball has a golden moment to rise. Evidence is the strength of European national teams at major tournaments like the World Cup and the Olympics. Spain, France, Germany, Slovenia, Greece—all have talented generations. A stronger, larger Euroleague will help those talents not go to waste.

But to do that, we need a vision wide enough. Itoudis says he hopes to see the league grow for at least ten more years. That shows he is speaking not for a moment, but for the long term. He wants to build something great, and he knows patience is a prerequisite.

In closing, as I often write in my analyses: "The king is wearing no clothes—but someone in court needs to say it." Itoudis has said it. The rest of the European basketball world, from executives to fans, will decide whether they want to shed the old garment of a stagnant league.

The question is: Is what we call the "pinnacle" of European basketball today—with 20 teams and a single final—truly the pinnacle, or just a waypoint on a longer journey? I bet on Itoudis's answer. I bet that he will see a 30-team Euroleague before he leaves this world. And if that happens, world basketball will have to look up to Europe.

For the rest of us basketball fans, perhaps we should prepare for a new era. An era where the Euroleague is not just a league to watch, but a league to dream. As Itoudis once said: "Growth is necessary." We can trust that he would not say that if it were merely a fantasy.