Alba Berlin before the upheaval: budget shortage and player leaves!

Alba Berlin before the upheaval: budget shortage and player leaves!

Berlin, Deutschland - Alba Berlin is facing a challenging summer after an early playoff. The team has to face a significant change, while at the same time the financial framework of the association is under pressure. Sports director Himar Ojeda, who has been responsible for sporting planning since 2016 and has extended the contract until 2028, has to counter a falling budget of several million euros. In this context, the association expects to reduce the squad from 15 to 12 players.

An important upheaval in the team is already evident by saying goodbye to Tim Schneider, who is adopted after 14 years and 477 games. In addition, players like Matt Thomas, Yanni Wetzell and Martin Hermannsson are talking about departures because they are looking for the opportunity to play in the Euroleague. This situation reflects the pressure under the Ojeda and the association, especially in view of the high rental costs and falling ticket revenues, as managing director Marco Baldi emphasizes.

structural challenges and talents

The financial situation of Alba is still complicated by the decision of five German talents to choose a US college. These departures represent an additional setback. Nevertheless, Ojeda also sees opportunities to create a better balanced squad, and emphasizes the need for organic growth and infrastructure improvements to secure long -term competitiveness.

The Bundesliga achieved a record sales of 148.1 million euros in the 2023/2024 season, which is an increase of 16.2 % compared to the pre -season. Sponsoring remains the most important source of revenue with an increase of 9.5 % to a total of 92.3 million euros. In theory, this economic development should also benefit the clubs such as Alba, but in view of the increased costs and a partially stagnating market, they face challenges that Ojeda noted in one of his last appearances.

The perspective of Alba and the Euroleague

Despite the turbulent times, Ojeda is optimistic that Alba Berlin will be able to regenerate quickly and to remain competitive in the future Euroleague competition. The club Hold is currently a temporary license for the Euroleague and works to acquire a permanent license. This is a central goal because the association wants to improve its framework conditions and infrastructure to increase the attractiveness.

The challenges for Alba are numerous, especially when trying to keep key players, while the competitive pressure is growing through the NBA. Ojeda fears that the slow market and the lack of new commitments prefer other teams, which also makes it difficult to change the squad. At the same time, he emphasizes the growing enthusiasm for basketball in Germany, especially among the younger generations, as a positive sign of the future.

Finally, it can be said that Alba Berlin is on a difficult financial and sporty path, while the association also pursues ambitious goals, both in the national league and in international competition. The coming months will be decisive to set the course for the future and to build a new, powerful team.