GENEVA, Dec. 10 (Xinhua) -- FIBA secretary general Andreas Zagklis said Tuesday the world basketball governing body is working with the NBA on plans to launch a new European club competition in 2027.

"I believe it will happen, but we need approvals by the respective boards of the NBA and the FIBA Central Board," Zagklis said at FIBA's annual media video conference.

"October 2027 is a realistic target. It is an ideal way of closing the curtain on the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Doha and moving into a new project that shapes the European club basketball landscape in a positive way."

In March, FIBA Europe and the NBA announced plans to launch a new professional men's league in Europe featuring 16 teams. NBA Europe and Middle East managing director George Aivazoglou previously identified cities including London, Paris, Rome, Berlin and Barcelona as potential hosts, though neither the official name nor launch date has been finalized.

Zagklis stressed the competition would be a joint venture rather than a purely NBA product.

"I would not call this an NBA competition because FIBA will be part of this," he said. "If you want to call it an NBA-FIBA competition, I could agree. The NBA is part of the venture."

European club basketball is currently led by two top-tier competitions, the EuroLeague and the EuroCup, both operated by EuroLeague Basketball.

Zagklis said he wanted to bring Europe's club competitions under a single framework.

"I am not happy with the current structure, which is fragmented," he said. "My vision is everything under the same roof. It is our job to bring everyone together, and I will keep trying."

He added that access and sustainability are central to FIBA's plans.

"We want teams from other leagues to have a pathway. We do not want an elevator system where clubs invest just to play for one year," Zagklis said.

"We want to give hope to hundreds of clubs and a reason to invest, not only through the Basketball Champions League but also through national leagues. It is also a matter of respect for the fans of these teams."

Zagklis also praised the Chinese Basketball Association for returning to FIBA's 40-minute game format, announced in September, after experimenting with the NBA-style 48-minute structure.

"The CBA is moving back to full compliance with FIBA regulations, which I consider a major change in the way we are delivering our sport," he said.

He also addressed changes to the qualifying and ranking system for the 2027 FIBA Men's World Cup, noting the introduction of a cumulative points model.

"We cleaned up some elements of the ranking," Zagklis said. "One change is that points are cumulative. In the past, teams advancing directly to the next phase could end up with fewer ranking points."

Zagklis said the rankings will play a key role in draws for both the 2027 World Cup in Doha, Qatar, and the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games.

"The ranking is very important for the draw," he said. "The more successful you have been recently, the better draws you get and the better chances you have to go deep in major tournaments." ■