Exclusive: London Lions Women back 777 Partners ahead of European tie
London Lions Women’s general manager Vanja Cernivec has thrown support behind franchise owners 777 Partners after the investment firm’s takeover bid for Everton sparked a series of questions about their background.
The American outfit has faced accusations about its recent and historic conduct, including their commitment to the London Lions and their ability to pass Premier League owners’ and directors’ test. 777 have denied any wrongdoing.
London Lions Women tonight face Hungarian side DVTK HUN-Therm at the Copper Box Arena as they look to become the first British team to reach the main group stage of the EuroLeague.
Happy with 777
“We are incredibly happy with our ownership investment,” Cernivec told City PM “Not only in the player roster but staff, coaches and all of the support staff. There’s no one in Europe that has this kind of support.
“When we speak about our government funding and public funding, that’s way behind in basketball but our ownership is dedicated to the women’s game – equally as men. I couldn’t be more happy to be managing this team.”
The London Lions did the domestic double last year and won the WBBL Trophy and the WBBL Cup but face a big step up in Europe.
“Fans have to realise that this is the best league, some would say in the world,” Cernivec added. “The WNBA is a different animal but there are NBA players who end up playing in Europe.
“If we end up in the EuroLeague, we’re going to play the likes of Fenerbahce, who won the league last year, and Valencia.
“Our team is super versatile, smart and we want to play a fast game. We have a lot of players that can shoot the ball well, so our priority as a team [is a] fast paced game.”