German Basketball League - Is the club seeking redemption through purchase?
The reason: Merlins can secure a wild card for a first division license by paying 700,000 euros, thus remaining in the league. A condition: Karlsruhe must lose in the promotion play-offs semi-final against Hagen (the series starts on Thursday).
Context: Karlsruhe is the sole club in their tournament tree segment to apply for a first division license.
In essence: If Hagen advances to the final, a BBL license would be obtained for free.
Crailsheim's sports director Ingo Enskat (51) at Dyn: "We're aware of the teams, dates, and opponents in the second division play-offs, as well as the opportunities that may arise."
However, the issue is that the wild card funds would then be unavailable for player salaries. The three clubs that previously purchased a spot were later relegated in the following season - even Crailsheim itself (2016). Gießen (2022) and Frankfurt (2023) also experienced relegation after buying their way into the league.
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Source: symclub.org