Belgrade clubs secure long-term Euroleague status
EuroLeague has invited both Belgrade rivals to move from temporary licence holders to permanent franchises, as eight clubs chase ten-year A-licences.
- EuroLeague has sent official invitations to Red Star and Partizan to become permanent franchise members, announced on June 16, 2026.
- Both clubs are among eight applicants for an A-licence with a guaranteed spot for ten years.
- The league keeps its 20-team format for 2026/27, with expansion planned for 2027/28.
- The applicant list also includes Virtus Bologna, Dubai, Monaco, both Hapoel sides and Valencia.
When the lights go down in Belgrade Arena after a derby, a particular smell lingers, sweat, chalk on the hands, and thousands of people slowly filing down the stands. That scene now comes with a guarantee that it will not disappear. For the first time this openly, EuroLeague has told the Belgrade clubs that it is counting on them for the long haul, not season by season.
Invitations have arrived for both Red Star and Partizan to move from temporary licence holders to the status of permanent franchises. This is more than paperwork. It confirms that the eternal derby, one of the loudest sporting rivalries on the continent, stays at the very top of European basketball even once the dust around the competition reforms settles.
The news was announced on June 16, 2026, and it is part of a new system in which EuroLeague turns temporary licences into long-term deals. Instead of clubs worrying every year about whether an invitation will come, they get a stable foundation to plan budgets, recruit players and, ultimately, to reward fans who know they are buying a ticket to something lasting.
What exactly does permanent franchise status mean?
The heart of it is security. A temporary licence means a club plays in EuroLeague by invitation, which can be withheld. A permanent franchise, or A-licence, brings a guaranteed place over a longer term, in this case ten years. That changes a club’s negotiating position with sponsors, with players and with its own management.
Red Star and Partizan are among the eight clubs that have applied for such a licence. Alongside them, Virtus Bologna, Dubai, Monaco, Hapoel Jerusalem, Hapoel Tel Aviv and Valencia are also seeking a place in the long-term system. The list speaks for itself, a blend of traditional European powers and new, financially strong projects pushing toward the top.
For the two Belgrade clubs this is also a matter of prestige. For decades they have built their reputation through packed arenas and an atmosphere that opponents remember for years. Now that atmosphere earns formal recognition as a value the league wants to keep, rather than treating it as a temporary guest.
How does the reform change the competition?
EuroLeague keeps its 20-team format for the 2026/27 season, while expansion is announced for 2027/28. That means change does not happen overnight, but through a transitional period in which the league makes room for both old and new franchises.
For fans in Belgrade the message is clear. The derby is not moving, fading or shrinking into a one-off. The arena that has been bursting at the seams on European nights for years takes on the role of a permanent host of the strongest club competition on the continent. Clubs can now build for the long term, keep young players who would otherwise head abroad and plan camps and academies without fearing that their place among the elite could be stripped away by a single vote.
It remains to be seen how the ten-year guarantees will shape budgets and transfers as soon as this summer. But one thing is certain, Belgrade basketball is entering a new phase on far firmer ground. So I ask you, will permanent franchise status bring Red Star and Partizan European trophies, or merely a secure seat at the table of the big clubs?
