Austria's men's league starts at the weekend. From November 1st, only basketball players who have been vaccinated against the corona virus will be allowed to play.
The best: MVP Enis Murati moved to Vienna
The Basketball Superliga (BSL) relies on a 100 percent vaccination rate against the corona virus. Only players, coaches and referees who are fully immunized are allowed to participate. The regulation applies from November 1st.
Clubs and leagues have agreed on this, explains the General Manager of Basketball Austria Johannes Wiesmann.
This step has not (yet) taken place in other professional leagues in Austria.
Two derbies
The kick-off into the new game year takes place on the weekend with two derbies. BC Vienna will host the Vienna DC Timberwolves, defending champion Swans Gmunden will host the Flyers Wels on Lake Traunsee. He is hoping for a “season with fans from the first to the last matchday” and of course for an exciting championship, said Wiesmann. The spectators in the halls would have been absent for a year.
The number one title contender is BC Vienna, who not only signed the ÖBV international Enis Murati (“MVP” of the last BSL season), Bogic Vujosevic and Jozo Rados, but also four new legionnaires. “Our goal is the championship title,” announced General Manager Petar Stazic Strbac.
Of course, Gmunden, Kapfenberg Bulls and Co. did not voluntarily give the trophy to the Viennese.
The BSL basic round will again run over 18 match days. Then the points are halved and the league is divided into the placement (top 6) and qualifying round (bottom 4). In the second championship phase, the ranking for the play-off, which eight clubs reach, is played out. Quarter and semi-finals as well as the series of finals will be decided in the “Best of five” format.
The same applies to the duel between the ninth and the tenth, which is against relegation. If the champions of the 2nd Bundesliga fulfills the license requirements – which are eased for the first year according to Wiesmann – there is a direct promoter. If this is not the case, the league can award a “wild card”.
Train to the European Cup
Four BSL teams are also involved internationally. From Wednesday next week Kapfenberg will play in the FIBA Europe Cup (Group A) against BBC Bayreuth, the club team of ÖBV team boss Raoul Korner.
The Dukes Klosterneuburg, Wels and Vienna (previously in the 1st round of qualification for the FIBA Europe Cup) are competing in the Alpe Adria Cup, which is already running.
The fifth team on the European stage was Gmunden. The Swans were in the 2nd round of qualifying for the FIBA Europe Cup.
Wiesmann noted positively that the BSL clubs are increasingly playing internationally. As a novelty at home he announced the freestyle of the “Talent of the Month” in the new season.
Sky will again broadcast up to 48 games live. As before, ORF Sport + 15 shows selected matches live.
