Bayern Munich fans back decision to postpone EuroLeague game

The invasion of Ukraine by Russia is affecting much of the sports world, including basketball.

The EuroLeague game between Bayern Munich and CSKA Moscow was scheduled to be played on Thursday, but was postponed — a decision backed by both the German club and its fans.

Bayern Munich's general manager, Marko Pesic, told DW that, while this was a difficult situation, the club fully supported the postponement of the game.

"On this sad day, it was very difficult to focus on a game of sports," Pesic said. "I think it was the right decision not to play."

Claudia Zirngibl, the chairperson of BIGREDS, the only official Bayern Munich basketball fan club, told DW that, although she believed sports and politics should remain separate, in this instance it was the right decision to postpone the game.

"It's very difficult — usually sports should remain neutral," Zirngibl said. "But this is a very unique situation. Many people are very scared at the moment, and this is not the right time to put our attention on sports when there are more important things."

This year, the EuroLeague consists of 18 clubs from 10 countries, including CSKA Moscow, UNICS Kazan and Zenit St. Petersburg.

All three games involving Russian teams on Thursday were postponed, but the rest of the schedule went ahead as planned. Ukrainian referee Boris Ryzhik was in charge of Olympiacos' game against Olimpia Milano, and held a simple sign to the cameras before tipoff.

Fans wanted clear message

Former Bundesliga player Pesic emphasized that Bayern's opponents did not play a role in the decision.

"We have a great relationship with CSKA Moscow," Pesic said. "Their players and coaches have nothing to do with the situation, I just want to make that very clear."

Zirngibl said members of the BIGREDS fan club unanimously supported the decision to postpone the match. Some even threatened to boycott future competitions had Bayern played the game.

"Some of them said: 'If Bayern aren't sending a clear message here, I am not attending any future games of the club.' I also really liked the decision by Telekom not to broadcast the game," Zirngibl said.

Earlier in the day, German broadcaster "Magenta TV" had announced that it wouldn’t broadcast the game, with the channel’s senior vice president, Michael Schuld, asking fans for understanding on "a sad day for Europe."

The 18 EuroLeague clubs, together with competition CEO Jordi Bertomeu, are to meet remotely on February 25 to reach an agreement on the immediate future of this year's competition.