ASVEL sanctioned again for lack of financial guarantees with qualification refusals
October 1, 2025 Alexandre Lacoste
Diana Balayera, once again collateral victim of her clubs’ financial sanctions
La Boulangère Wonderligue - French player Diana Balayera is suspended again, not for personal misconduct, but due to administrative sanctions imposed on her club. This recurring situation raises questions about the French Basketball Federation's disciplinary procedures.
Photo Credit : Infinity Nine Media / Lilou Danjoux
Diana Balayera (1.91m, 29 years old) is experiencing a situation that’s difficult to comprehend for a professional athlete. As during her time at Roche Vendée Basket Club in 2024-2025, the French center is again prevented from competing, this time with ASVEL Féminin, due to financial sanctions targeting her club.
These suspensions, decided by the French Basketball Federation (FFBB), are not related to any sporting or disciplinary breach by the player, but to administrative procedures linked to club budgets.
A player sanctioned without fault
Diana Balayera holds no management position in her successive clubs. Yet, she consistently finds herself prevented from playing when the FFBB applies its activity suspension measures. « Ms. Balayera has no responsibility in her club’s financial management. She fulfills all her sporting and contractual obligations, » recalls her agent Djassam Bouin from Areus Sports in a statement.
In practice, while the player continues to receive her salary, she suffers significant sporting and professional damage: she cannot participate in the season, contribute to her team’s performance, or take part in matches essential for her career development.
A call for procedural reform
Diana Balayera’s case highlights a flaw in the current disciplinary system: sanctions targeting clubs for administrative failures result in collective punishments that directly affect players. « This operating mode exposes athletes to repeated suspensions, without recourse or possibility of intervention on their part, » deplores Djassam Bouin.
The agent calls on the French Basketball Federation to reform its procedures to ensure measures are applied fairly and specifically, considering the actual position of those affected. She also appeals to the Basketball Player’s Union, the recently renamed National Basketball Players Union, to defend the interests of players facing such unfair situations.
SNB becomes Basketball Players’ Union!
A new chapter that promises many novelties you’ll discover Monday during club tours 🔜 pic.twitter.com/p1XwCUIgCd— Basketball Players’ Union (@SNBasket1) September 12, 2025
Diana Balayera, an unwitting symbol
A double victim of her clubs’ financial context, Diana Balayera unwittingly illustrates the excesses of a system where players pay for management errors they don’t commit.
This new episode reignites the debate on statutory and legal protection for professional female basketball players in France, now an unavoidable topic for stakeholders in women’s basketball.
Gabriel Pantel-Jouve est le fondateur et rédacteur en chef de BeBasket, qu’il anime depuis 2010 (sous le nom de Catch & Shoot). Passé par l’Ecole Publique de Journaliste de Tours, puis deux universités en Amérique du Nord, il a pu développer son expertise sur le basket français, de la Ligue Nationale aux divisions amateurs, durant ces 20 dernières années. En parallèle, il est aussi engagé dans le développement de clubs du côté de Montpellier.
Commentaires