EuroLeague May Toughen Rules After Walkup Transfer Row

Chus Bueno, EuroLeague's chief executive, has said the competition may have to rewrite its transfer rules after Thomas Walkup's move from Olympiacos to Dubai this summer nearly ended up in arbitration.

Walkup left Olympiacos for Dubai during the close season amid a dispute between the two clubs. EuroLeague opened an investigation into the transfer and spoke to both the club and the player before the clubs reached an agreement and the deal was completed.

"It's incredible how ambitious the teams are to compete. We saw that this summer, with the transfers and the buyouts. Everyone wants to get the best players. But we have to compete within the rules. They're fairly transparent: you can't contact a player who has a valid contract. You have to contact the club first. If the club agrees, then you can start negotiations. We opened an investigation into Walkup. We spoke to the club and the player. There were statements in the media, and none of that should have happened. Our intervention led to an agreement between the clubs and the completion of the deal. We may have to review the rules and toughen the sanctions. Everyone wants to win, but it has to be done following the proper procedures. The current rules already set out that framework, but we'll assess them again. And we'll introduce new sanctions if needed," said Bueno.