Euroleague Basketball held its 27th Preseason Clinic for Officials in Wroclaw, a four-day gathering that brought together 84 referees, 18 referee coaches and league representatives to sharpen officiating standards ahead of the new EuroLeague season.
16 first-time officials in the pool
This year’s edition welcomed 16 referees attending the clinic for the first time. The group includes Silvia Marziali, Karol Kowalski, Edoardo Gonella, Joaquin Garcia Gonzalez, Matteo Lucotti and Alberto Sanchez Sixto, highlighting a generational refresh within European officiating.
Three referee coaches also made their debut — Caslav Cukalovic, Benjamin Jimenez and Rustu Nuran — within an 18-coach staff. Representatives from the ABA League and the VTB League joined the event as well.
Four-day programme at the DoubleTree by Hilton
The clinic took place at the DoubleTree by Hilton Wroclaw and covered fitness testing, a rules exam, and updates on statistics and IRS changes. Breakout work focused on mechanics, disruptive and flagrant fouls, block/charge calls, cylinder plays and path-of-play situations, with video review and a team-building activity.
Dejan Bodiroga, Euroleague Basketball President, opened the sessions alongside officiating director Daniel Hierrezuelo, who led the clinic for the fourth time. Sergio Scariolo, EuroLeague Head Coaches Board Vice President, and Real Madrid head coach Pedro Martinez also took part, together with officiating, physical-conditioning and sports-psychology staff.
Closing focus on the new season
Sunday’s final day centred on teamwork, communication and marginal calls, led by Hierrezuelo, with an optional IRS practice session run by Asimina Stamatiou. The Wroclaw gathering marked another step in raising officiating standards before the 2026/27 campaign. Coverage was provided by Eurohoops and Sportando.
