AS Monaco saved by the State, for now…
Financial Crisis - The Principality of Monaco steps in to clear €2.5M of AS Monaco Basket’s debt, but a tribunal ruling next month will determine the club’s future.
The Monegasque state has initiated a takeover of AS Monaco but the future remains unclear
Photo credit GPJ
Friday, March 6 was a date circled in red for AS Monaco fans — and not only them. The hearing confirmed the entry of the Monégasque state into the Roca Team, though it still leaves uncertainty about the club’s long-term outlook.
After clearing €2.5 million in debt (salaries, social contributions, and payments to temporary workers) around 4 p.m. on Thursday, March 5 — just one day before the hearing — and completing the purchase of a single share of SAM AS Monaco Basket through the Société Nationale de Financement (SNF), the principality moved forward in the process. The tribunal then appointed a representative tasked with assessing the financial situation of the SAM.
A temporary reprieve with uncertain prospects
Based on this financial assessment, the same tribunal will decide at the next hearing, scheduled for Friday, April 3, whether the SAM should be officially declared in cessation of payments. If that happens, an administrator would be appointed and the club would effectively come under full state control — although the principality has not yet clarified its long-term ambitions for the organization.
One question circulated in the hallways of Monaco’s judicial tribunal Friday morning, where BeBasket was present: why did the state agree with the two shareholders of the SAM, Aleksej Fedorycsev and Oleksiy Yefimov, to postpone the declaration of cessation of payments? Why not simply allow the tribunal to declare it on March 6 and take control of the club immediately?
The answer may lie in the absence of a clear buyer ready to step in. Meanwhile, the Michel Pastor Group has frozen the second installment of its sponsorship payment for the 2025–2026 season. Taken together, those elements suggest that the state’s priority may simply be to ensure the club can finish the current season — not necessarily to immediately launch a new long-term project for Monaco’s men’s basketball program.
This situation leaves the team in a state of uncertainty at a moment when it already appears to be hitting a low point. Following Thursday’s loss to Fenerbahce Beko Istanbul, a scuffle reportedly broke out between Mike James and Élie Okobo, while rumors have also begun circulating about a possible resignation from head coach Vassilis Spanoulis.
Sylvain Sultat follows the NBA on a daily basis, covering individual performances, team dynamics, and the league's greatest stories. On Be-Basketball, he breaks down the latest American basketball news with passion and consistency, always on the lookout for the trends shaping the world of basketball.
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