Aris, PAOK gearing up for long relegation battle
Once regulars in the Basket League playoffs, Aris and PAOK are now gearing up for what looks to be a long relegation battle in the Greek top flight.
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Aris and PAOK are rooted at the foot of the Basket League table after both sides have posted a 3-9 start to the 2019/2020 campaign.
Struggles off the court have made life difficult for the Thessaloniki outfits as Aris and PAOK have been rocked by financial troubles in the past year largely due to mismanagement in recent years.
The financial troubles are just the start, however, as both clubs have been sanctioned by FIBA for unpaid debts to former players and as a consequence have been banned from registering new players to their rosters. The bans have taken a toll on both rosters as neither club have been able to sign reinforcements, with PAOK also feeling the effects of those bans during a nightmare campaign in the Basketball Champions League.
At 3-9 the two Thessaloniki clubs are in a logjam for the two relegation spots in the Basket League along with Larisa who are also struggling after completing a rebranding and relocation to Thessaly in the offseason. Rethymno are just one game up on the bottom trio with a 4-8 record, while the trio of clubs with 5-7 records seem miles away from the likes of Aris, Larissa, and PAOK.
Perhaps the encouraging news is that the Basket League regular season is only just approaching the midway mark, but neither side have showed real signs of improving so it seems odds-on that Thessaloniki’s clubs will be battling relegation down the stretch.
