ABA League: Referees Meet Sunday, Restart Next Weekend
Clubs and referee representatives meet on Sunday, September 27, to decide whether the delayed ABA League season can begin. If they reach a deal, the first round could tip off as soon as next weekend.
The ABA League was supposed to open its new season this weekend. Instead of a first round, clubs got a meeting invitation. Club officials and referee representatives will sit down together on Sunday, September 27 (the exact time and venue have not been announced) to try to settle a dispute that has already forced one postponement.
We reported a few days ago that the delay followed a protest by five clubs, during which one representative said:
“We are not traveling to Podgorica.”
That episode was only part of a wider problem. The real cause lies in the relationship between the league and the referees’ organization.
Why the start was postponed in the first place
The decision to postpone the start of the ABA League and the Second ABA League came from the Assembly, and it wasn’t close: 11 votes in favor, only one abstention. The league’s statement afterward was brief:
“A meeting of the ABA League was held, and with 11 votes in favor and one abstention, a decision was made to postpone the start of the ABA League and the Second ABA League. The public will be informed about the next steps.”
Nothing more was said at the time, leaving clubs and fans to wait for the next move.
Who is at the table on Sunday
The meeting set for September 27 is meant to bring together two sides that have been at odds for months. The league will be represented by Presidency members Ostoja Mijailovic (Partizan), Dragan Bokan (Buducnost) and Davor Uzbinec (Cedevita Olimpija). Also invited are Nemanja Vasiljevic of Crvena zvezda, Djordjije Pavicevic of Mornar, league director Dubravko Kmetovic, and refereeing commissioner Miguel Angel Perez.
The referees won’t show up alone either. They are represented by lawyer Danijel Papak, along with one arbitrator each from Serbia, Montenegro, Croatia, Slovenia, and Bosnia and Herzegovina. Mondo reports that a total of 63 referees stand behind these negotiations, essentially the entire pool that has officiated games in the region so far.
Three items are on the agenda: exactly when the season starts, the referees’ request for higher match fees, and the fate of arbitrators who applied to officiate the new season. If all three sides find common ground, the ABA League could start as soon as next weekend, a week behind the original schedule.
Kurir also notes a detail worth flagging: the clubs that actually hold voting rights in the league were not invited to the meeting itself, even though they will ultimately have to sign off on whatever is agreed. Voting rights in the ABA League Assembly belong to Partizan, Crvena zvezda, FMP, Mega, Buducnost, SC Derbi, Mornar, Igokea, Cedevita Olimpija, Krka, Zadar and Cibona.
Until Sunday, all that’s left is to see whether the 63 referees and the twelve clubs can find a common language. If they don’t manage it on the first try, the next test comes that very weekend, the one originally set for the second round, not the first.
